Reflections
by Nightcrawler8
Summary: An AU on my first series. What if Michael had returned several months earlier...while Cole was still the Source? (Michael's POV)
1. The Heartache of Loss

Reflections

(Whilst suffering from muse deprivation for my stories _Centennial Charmed Redux and _Twice Charmed_, I thought about an alternate universe for my first series, beginning with "Lineage".  I wondered what may have happened if Michael had returned several months earlier, while Cole was still possessed by the Source.  How would he have dealt with the events that led to Phoebe's descent into darkness?)_

A/N:  This story is from Michael's point of view.

CHAPTER 1:  The Heartache of Loss

            It's amazing how a single moment in time can alter your entire existence.  I never could have imagined the twists and turns that formed the path I've called my life.  I've seen things some people have only seen in their most fantastic dreams...and in their worst nightmares.

            But I'm getting ahead of myself.  In fact, you don't even know my name.

            My name is Michael Smith.  I was born to Thomas and Veraline Smith on June 20, 1974 in Upstate New York.  My father was the founder of a highly successful computer company, Smith Computers, Inc., and we were quite well off.  For most of my childhood, things were pretty much normal.  Then, when I was twelve, my parents told me the truth about who they were, and who I was.

            My father was a witch, and my mother was a demon.  By default, that made me half-witch, half-demon.  As such, my father told me that I would be a warrior of Good and battle the forces of darkness.  Needless to say, I was scared out of my mind.

            As of my twelfth birthday, the spell my parents had used to bind my powers wore off, and my father began to train me in Wicca.  At first, my father's reassurances about my safety were proven true.  However, after a particularly nasty battle where I was almost killed by a gang of five demons, I'd had enough.

            Since I'd already been accepted to Oxford to study computer science and business, I told my father that I would not be using my powers again.  He protested my decision, but I was adamant.  I packed my things and left for England.

            I was eighteen.  It was the last time I ever saw my father.

            Since I'd cut my ties to my family, I delved into my own extensive savings to pay for tuition.  Since it was still my intention to take over my family's business when my father retired, I spent an extra two years earning my doctorates in computer science and business.  After graduation, I returned to the States and bought a penthouse in New York City.

            Having more money than most twenty-four year olds, I didn't need to have a real job.  Instead, after hanging with some guys my age who were really into rock music, I decided to pursue my other talent – playing the guitar.  We formed a rock band and began to play the local New York night clubs.

            It was in February 1998 that I met Phoebe Halliwell for the first time.  I remember that night as clearly as anything.  I was up on stage, playing a solo, when I spotted her staring at me.  I knew from the first time I looked into those deep brown eyes that she was the one.  I don't know how I knew, but I could feel it, even then.

            After the show, I found her at the bar.  We talked for a while.  She told me about her life, how she'd been the rebellious younger child of three sisters, and how she decided that New York was more her scene.  I told her about me...well, not everything.  I mean, how could she possibly understand?

            I'm happy to say that we hit it off right away.  She came to a couple more shows, and we started dating.  I remember the night we made love for the first time.  I felt complete for the first time in my life.  Over the next two months, we fell deeply in love with one another.  I didn't think that anything could dent the happiness we shared.

            I've never been more wrong.

            One night, while we were spending some time together at my penthouse, I received a call from my mother.  She was crying hysterically, and when she finally told me, I felt as though my heart had been ripped in half.  My father had been murdered, at the hands of the Source himself.  If only I'd been there...if only...

            Not a day goes by that I haven't regretted my last words to him.

            Despite Phoebe's presence, anger consumed me.  I desired revenge for my father's death, and I knew there was only one way to achieve it.  I had to train my magical abilities to their maximum.  However, I knew that the Source would probably come after me once I started using my powers again.  There was only one place in the world that would work.

            Castle Stonehenge...a remarkable piece of craftsmanship that resides in the English countryside which is my family's ancestral home.  It's stood since the time of Merlin, legendary wizard of Camelot...founder of my family line.  Since the castle had been magically shielded against Evil, it was the perfect location.  There was one problem.

            I had to leave Phoebe behind.

            On the day of my father's funeral, I told her that I had to leave for London, since the business was based there.  Although it was true that I did need to immerse myself in the business environment again, I would be spending most of my time training.  My heart wrenched as she began to cry hysterically.  She begged me not to go.  All I wanted to do was to tell her the truth, and I couldn't do it.  Instead, I told her that no matter how long it took, I would come back for her.  I swore to her, and to myself, that there would be no one else.

            I'll never forget the last words she said to me before I left.  "Stay safe," she said.  "I couldn't go on if something happened to you."

            "I will," I replied.  "I love you."  I kissed her goodbye, picked up my bags, and left.

            I didn't see her again for four years.

            The nights were cold and lonely, but the thought of being with her again drove me forward each day.  My powers grew stronger and my knowledge of magic grew larger.

            Then the tables turned for the first time.

            One morning about six months after I'd been there, I felt a surge of power.  It was incredible, but I was shocked beyond belief when I localized it.

            Three new witches had just claimed their powers...and Phoebe was one of them.

            I couldn't believe it.  Phoebe was a witch.  And not just any witch.  Three sisters could only mean one thing...the Charmed Ones.

            How stupid I was to think that she wouldn't have understood, when only months later she became a witch herself!

            Although the knowledge would make it easier when I finally left, I knew that I was not ready yet.  So, I persisted.  One year merged into another and another...and another.  Finally one day, Merlin himself appeared to me, and told me that my period of exile was complete, and that it was time to re-enter the war.  He presented me with Excalibur, and told me to use it wisely.

            Upon leaving the castle, I made arrangements to move the World Headquarters of the company to San Francisco.  It took nearly six months, but eventually I found myself moving into my family's San Francisco estate.  The next step was to find local legal representation.  So, several nights afterward, I found myself at a party being held by the firm of Jackman, Carter, and Kline.  I was chatting with Mr. Jackman while looking when suddenly I felt a familiar presence in the room.  I turned to look, and my heart almost stopped upon seeing Phoebe.

            She had never looked more beautiful.  Her hair was curled with a white flower stuck in one side.  The black dress she wore stirred my love for her to the surface.  I barely remember excusing myself from Mr. Jackman's presence before walking over to her.  A thousand things rushed through my mind, but the simplest was the one that I spoke.

            "Hey, Phoebe."

            She turned to look, and I knew the exact moment when she recognized me.  Her eyes grew huge, and she smiled broadly.  With a soft squeal of joy, she threw her arms around me, and I knew that the time I'd been away had been worth it.  "Oh my God...I can't believe you're really here," she whispered as she pulled back.  "When..."

            "Just a few days ago," I replied.  "I would have come to see you sooner, but I had to get some things set up at my new place."

            She nodded in acquiescence.  "I'm so glad you're here," Phoebe said, smiling again.  Her smile waned though, and I could tell something was wrong.

            "What's wrong?" I asked anxiously.

            Phoebe looked uncomfortable, as though she was struggling with something.  "Michael, there's something you should know..." she started.

            "Whatever it is, you can tell me," I said, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly.

            She looked up at me with tears in her eyes.  "Michael, I'm married," she blurted.

            My heart stopped for the second time that night.  "You're...what?" I questioned.

            Phoebe looked down, ashamed.  "I know that we'd said we'd wait for each other, but I couldn't.  I just...things just happened, and I..."

            "Phoebe, it's ok," I said, smiling bravely despite the heartbreak I was feeling.  "I asked a lot of you, seeing if you would wait for me.  And after a few months, I guess you felt lonely.  I don't resent you for it.  It's perfectly natural."

            "Really?" she said.

            "Yeah," I said.  "Sometimes, things just don't work out the way we think they will.  But, the best we can do is to accept them and move on."

            "I'm glad you ok with everything," Phoebe said, smiling once again.  Suddenly, her gaze shifted, and she waved to someone standing behind me.  Turning around, I saw a man about my age approaching.  He had dark hair and deep blue eyes.  His demeanor seemed friendly enough, but something felt slightly off.

            "Hi honey," he said, coming to stand next to Phoebe.  Kissing her lightly on the lips, he then turned to me and asked, "So, who's this?"

            "Cole, I'd like you to meet Michael Smith.  He owns Smith Computers.  Michael, this is Cole Turner, my husband, and a junior partner with Jackman, Carter, and Kline," Phoebe introduced us.

            "Nice to meet you, Michael," Cole said, extending his hand.  I took his hand to shake it, but I was unprepared for what happened next.

            As part of my powers, I formed passive links with anyone I'd ever come into physical contact with.  That's how I knew when Phoebe's powers became unbound.  When I touched Cole's hand, I felt a wave of evil more powerful than anything I'd felt up to that point.  And judging by the power level, I knew that meant only one thing.

            This Cole Turner, Phoebe's husband, was the Source of All Evil.

            I jerked my hand back in shock and brought it to my eyes, trying to quell the extreme dizziness that had assailed my senses.

            "Michael, are you alright?" Phoebe asked anxiously.

            I shook my head.  "I'm not feeling too well," I replied honestly.  "It's probably just my stomach adjusting back to eating regular American food, I guess.  I should go."  As I turned to leave, Cole put a hand on my shoulder.

            "It was nice meeting you, Michael," he said.  "I hope to see you again sometime."

            I turned back to look at him, and I could sense the Source inside of him laughing his damn head off.  He knew that he'd stolen the love of my life away from me.

            I'm not one to let sleeping dogs lie, though.

            "Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," I replied in an even tone.  "We'll see each other again.  You can count on it."  I then turned and walked back to the elevator.  As soon as the doors closed, I let out a breath and leaned back against the elevator wall, trying to come to terms with what I'd just witnessed.

            Phoebe Halliwell, my first and only love, was married to the Source.  What the hell was I supposed to do?

            Over the next week, in between board meetings and proposals, I tried to plan for how to expose Cole as the Source without too much risk to Phoebe and her sisters.  I decided that stealth would be preferable to start, so I shimmered invisibly onto the penthouse's balcony.  As I'd expected, I saw Cole meeting with various demonic faction leaders, attempting to unify the Underworld.  I knew that simply taking video shots of these meetings would do me no good.  Cole could easily turn the tables on me and deny everything, saying that I was just doing it out of jealousy.  No, I'd have to wait until Cole slipped up.  I also had to figure out a way to reveal the truth about myself to the Charmed Ones without Cole finding out, and so I observed them too.  I soon saw my chance.

            The vampires decided to make a move against the Source and took Phoebe's younger sister Paige in an attempt to turn all three Charmed Ones to their side.  When Phoebe, her older sister Piper, and their Whitelighter, Leo, went to the vampires' realm, I followed, and waited until just the right moment to enter the ensuing battle.  When the vampire Rowan knocked Phoebe to the ground, I turned off my invisibility and charged.

            Ignoring Phoebe's shocked gasp at seeing me there, I quickly brought up my fist in time to block a punch from Rowan.  I savored the look of surprise on his face as he found he could not drive his fist any farther forward.  I then methodically began to crush his hand.  When he fell to his knees from the pain, I kicked him back, and incinerated him with a fireball.  A few seconds later, I noticed fireballs flying out from another cavern and incinerating the bats.  I focused, and smirked as I recognized the Source's essence.

            "Come, before the Source kills us all!" the Queen yelled, Paige trailing behind her.

            Phoebe looked at me with utter astonishment.  "Michael, what the _hell is going on?!?_" she yelled.  I winced at the volume.

            "I guess I deserve that," I said sheepishly.  "I'll explain everything, I promise, but right now, I think your sister needs our help."  Just then, I noticed the bats begin to explode spontaneously.

            "What's going on?" Phoebe questioned.

            "The Queen must be dead...Paige!" Piper yelled.  We took off down the cavern to see Paige lying on her stomach.

            "Paige," Phoebe said, trying to wake her up.  As Paige stirred, Phoebe breathed a sigh of relief and pulled her into a hug.  "Thank God you're alive."

            "The Source..." Paige said softly.

            "The Source?" Phoebe questioned.  "What do you mean?"

            "He was here," Paige clarified.

            "Just now?  You saw him?" Piper asked.

            Paige nodded.

            "The Queen must have posed a threat to him," Leo reasoned.

            "Well, that would explain why he wanted to kill her, but why not us?" Phoebe wondered.  I was unbelievably tempted to tell her everything right then, but I wasn't sure if she could handle it.

            My hesitation right then set the stage for changes no one could have seen coming.

            "Well let's just count our blessings and get the hell out of here," Piper said.  Everyone joined hands except for me, and I shimmered while following the orb trail back to the Manor.  After we arrived, I took Phoebe aside and explained everything to her, about my past, who my parents were, what kinds of powers I had.  She took it a lot better than I'd have expected.

            "I'm upset that you didn't tell me," she admitted, "but I am glad that you told me."  I breathed a sigh of relief.  "Anyway, I've got to get back to the penthouse before Cole sends out a search party."  She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.  "Thanks for saving me tonight."  Phoebe turned and left the Manor.

            The next week felt very strange to me.  I think even then, I could feel the tension building up, and very soon, everything would come to light.  I couldn't have been more right if I tried.  After a meeting with Phoebe, Paige called and told me her own suspicions about Cole, and some news that floored me.

            Phoebe was pregnant.

            I knew then how dangerous the situation could be.  If the unborn child was evil, it could influence Phoebe to the other side.

            Things only got more confusing from there.  The wizard showed up, giving the girls the idea to steal the Grimoire to prevent the Source from being crowned and receiving his full powers.  When they came back from the Underworld, I knew instantly that something was wrong.  Phoebe barely said two words before rushing out the door.  When I asked Piper, she told me that Phoebe had thrown fire.  I sat down rubbing my temples.  It was all coming together.

            Soon after, Phoebe returned, looking disheveled.  She relayed what had happened at the penthouse, the premonition, everything.  And then, Leo dropped the bomb about the wizard, but not before he escaped with the Grimoire.  The girls decided to go after him and, against Phoebe's will, ask Cole for help.  When I volunteered to join them, however, Phoebe told me not to.

            "Why?" I asked.

            "Things are complicated enough right now," Phoebe said.  "If you go with us and Cole sees you, he'll know you're magical.  I don't want the two of you fighting each other.  I couldn't handle it, not after everything else."

            "Alright," I agreed, "but at the first sign of trouble, I'm coming after you."

            Of course, I had to wait no longer than fifteen minutes before Paige, Piper and Leo showed up, without Phoebe.  They told me what happened, and I cursed.  Leo couldn't sense her, and although my sensing abilities normally could penetrate the Underworld, this time they failed, which meant someone had added some additional power to block her signal.  After a few minutes, the scrying crystal finally landed on the map, and I could sense Phoebe again.

            But something was very wrong...

            We materialized to see Phoebe standing next to Cole.  "Oh, thank God we found you," Paige said.

            "It's too late," Phoebe said coldly.

            "What do you mean?  What are you talking about?" Leo questioned.

            We watched in shock as Phoebe went and picked up the Grimoire.  "Hey, I thought only Evil could touch that book," Paige said, confused.

            "That's right," Phoebe confirmed.

            "Phoebe, what's going on?" Piper questioned nervously.

            Phoebe turned cold eyes to Piper and said, "I'm embracing my new destiny."

            That was where I drew the line.  "Like hell," I said, forming a fireball and aiming for Cole's head.  "I'm not letting you go this time, Phoebe.  I love you too damn much."

            There was dead silence in the room at my words.  I looked over at Cole, who smirked at me.  "So, at last you reveal yourself to me," he said.  "How long did you know?"

            "Too long," I replied, not taking my eyes off him.  "Phoebe, get back."

            To my utter shock and surprise, Phoebe formed a fireball of her own.  "Drop your fireball Michael, or I swear I'll kill you."  The coldness in her voice chilled me, but I didn't let my fear show on my face.

            "You wouldn't," I challenged.

            The next thing I knew, part of the right sleeve of my shirt was burnt.  I looked in utter shock at Phoebe.  "No," I said in disbelief.  The room spun, and suddenly I couldn't be in there anymore.  The last thing I saw was Phoebe and Cole flame out.  I shimmered back to my mansion, and let out a scream of agony.

            I'd lost her, to the fucking Source of All Evil, no less.

            The next week was a blur to me.  I got drunk every day.  It was the only way to dull the pain of failure.  Oh, I knew she and Cole were in the penthouse, but it wouldn't do me any good to go there now.  Her mind had been poisoned, and I had no clue what the cure was.

            One night, while I was drinking myself into oblivion yet again, Merlin appeared.  "What the hell are you doing?" he demanded.

            "Nice to see you too," I said, raising my glass to him.

            "Stop that, _AT ONCE!!!_" he bellowed.  The sheer volume in his voice woke me up.

            "What do you expect me to do?" I asked.  "Do you actually expect me to take on the Source?"

            "Yes!" Merlin said, exasperated.  "This was your destiny, to fight evil.  Now, you are being called upon to fight evil in the most dangerous way."  He paused, studying me, as if measuring my worth.  "Do you love her?"

            I didn't hesitate.  "With all my heart," I answered.

            "Would you sacrifice yourself for her?" he asked.

            "Yes," I answered.

            "Then get off your ass, and go get her," Merlin commanded, with his tone slightly playful.  He disappeared a moment later.

            Merlin was right.  I knew I could take Cole.  But I was afraid to lose Phoebe in the process.  I finally realized that it didn't matter.  I could feel Phoebe's innate goodness trying to push back to the surface, had felt it all week.  I knew that no matter what happened to me, Phoebe would be alright.

            I took a day to get myself cleaned up and ready to fight.  That evening, I did something I hadn't done before.  I asked my father for forgiveness.  To my surprise, I heard his answer in my mind.

            _I am proud of you son.  All is forgiven._

            I knew I was ready.  Without a moment's hesitation, I shimmered into the penthouse.  I materialized to see Cole standing in front of the bathroom door.  Moments later, I saw Piper, Paige and Leo appear next to me.  I assumed that something else must have happened that I'd not been aware of, but I didn't have time to dwell on it.

            Cole turned his gaze to me, and sneered.  "So, it's come down to this, has it?" he snarled.

            I gestured, and Excalibur appeared in my hand.  I slowly rotated the sword into a better position, the blade giving off a sweet musical hum as it moved through the air.  Cole's eyes widened at the sight of the ancient blade.  The Source knew full well of its power.  One clean stab with this, and he could kiss himself goodbye.  "Let's get this over with," I said coldly.  Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Piper and Paige trying to figure out what to do.  I shook my head slightly, indicating that I could handle it.

            "Fine by me," Cole replied, materializing a sword of his own.  Cole immediately took a swing at me, but I was faster and blocked it, the swords clashing like thunder.

            For several minutes, we traded blows, neither one of us doing the other damage.  Finally, I began to overpower him, and knocked his sword out of his hands.  Before Cole could take a step or gesture, I'd leveled Excalibur at his chest.  "I've been waiting for this moment for four years," I said coldly.  "You murdered my father, and you stole the only woman I've ever loved away from me.  It's time for you to die, you son of a bitch."  Before I could push the blade forward, a voice stopped me.

            "Michael, _no!_"

            I turned and was shocked to see Phoebe emerging from the bathroom.  She looked pale and sick, and I knew that she must have been in great pain.  And then I realized that I couldn't kill him.  I was a good man, above the petty notion of revenge, and I couldn't believe how close I'd come to giving in to my own darkness.  I looked back at Cole and slowly lowered Excalibur.  "I beat you, bastard.  Never forget that."  I turned from him and began to walk toward Phoebe.  A ghost of a smile appeared on her face, but was quickly wiped away and replaced by a look of dawning horror.  It was then that I heard the cold voice behind me:

            "Like hell you beat me."

            Before anyone could move, I felt the sword pierce through my stomach.

            Phoebe screamed.

            The shock was so great that I couldn't feel the pain at first.

            The next thing I knew, I was propped up against the wall, feeling my body grow cold as I slowly bled to death.  I managed to hold on to consciousness and watch as Phoebe kissed Cole, and then to my utter but grateful amazement, she stepped back and joined her sisters.

            "Phoebe, no," I heard Cole say in disbelief.  "_No!"_

            "Sorry, baby," she said, tears running down her face.  "I'm so sorry."

            "_Prudence, Penelope, Patricia, Melinda," Piper chanted.  I could see the first level of fire appear near Cole's feet._

            "_Astrid, Helen, Laura, and Grace," Phoebe continued in a choked voice._

            And right then, for the first time, I felt the human Cole rise above the Source.

            "I'll always love you," he said.

            "_Halliwell__ witches stand strong beside us," Paige added._

            "_Vanquish this evil..." Phoebe started, as she looked away from Cole._

            "_...from time and space," the Charmed Ones finished together._

            Cole exploded a moment later, and I heard the windows shatter.  I looked up to see Phoebe lifting her head from Piper's shoulder, and looking at the spot where Cole had been standing in utter shock.  She then looked over at me, and ran over.  "Oh, God, Michael," she sobbed, taking my hand in hers.

            Leo, Piper and Paige knelt down on the other side of me.

            "Shit, this hurts," I groaned.

            "Leo..." Piper prompted.

            Leo immediately placed his healing hands over my wound.  However, it was unfortunately clear after several seconds that nothing was happening.  No glow came.

            "_Leo, heal him!" Phoebe screamed._

            "I can't," Leo said.  "Something's stopping me."

            Despite the pain, I actually chuckled.  "That clever son of a bitch...must have cast a spell on the sword to make sure that I went down with him."

            "You think this is funny?!?" Phoebe yelled angrily.

            "No, just..." I started, but turned and coughed up blood.  "I'm so sorry, Phoebe."

            "What do you have to be sorry for?" she sobbed.  "This is all my fault."

            "C'mere," I said softly.  Phoebe buried her head against my neck and cried her heart out.  "You're not going to lose me Phoebe...'cause I'll always be right here."  I lifted my hand and weakly pressed it against her heart.

            Phoebe lifted her head, and I could see the tear stains across her face.  She sniffled.  "I love you," she said softly.  "I always have...and I always will."

            And then, the unexpected happened.

            Phoebe leaned in and kissed me.

            I mean, considering that she just lost her husband, I never figured out why, at least, not until...well, later.

            As she pulled away, I felt myself slipping away.  "Love you too, baby," I managed to whisper before everything went black.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	2. Sympathy

CHAPTER 2:  Sympathy

            Death can bring many changes.  Some of them, though, you'd never see coming.

            As the darkness enveloped me, I felt something else.

            My demon half was being stripped away from me, despite the fact that it had just been another facet of my magical ability.

            As the separation completed, I suddenly felt warmth, and I was bathed in white light.  I looked around, but I could see no one.  Time was meaningless, but I felt power, vast amounts of it, gathering around me.  Eventually, I became aware of other presences.

            _GREETINGS, MICHAEL SMITH, said several voices in unison._

            _Who are you? I asked._

            _WE ARE THE POWERS THAT BE, came the answer.  _WE ARE THE HIGHEST BEINGS ON THE SIDE OF GOOD, SECOND ONLY TO GOD.__

            _What do you want with me?_

            _HAVING FOUGHT THE GREATEST EVIL, AND IN YOUR SACRIFICE RESTORED THE POWER OF THREE, WE HAVE DECIDED TO REWARD YOU, the Powers continued.  __YOU MAY MOVE ON INTO THE AFTERLIFE, OR YOU MAY BECOME A CHAMPION OF GOOD ONCE AGAIN.  WE WILL INCREASE YOUR POWERS A HUNDREDFOLD, AND MAKE YOU INVINCIBLE.  WHAT SAY YOU?_

            I took less than a second to consider.  If the Powers brought me back, it would give me the chance to be with Phoebe again.  _I choose to remain in the service of Good_, I replied.

            _VERY WELL, the Powers replied.  Suddenly, the magical energy that had been surrounding me began to enter my body.  I could feel the power rising in me, and I felt that I could jump to the moon if I so desired.  As the last of the power entered me, the Powers spoke one last time.  _IT IS DONE.  MICHAEL SMITH, YOU ARE HEREBY DESIGNATED GUARDIAN OF LIFE.  GOOD LUCK._  With that, the light faded, and I found myself standing in my mansion._

            I quickly turned on the TV, and was shocked to see the date listed as November 3.  I couldn't believe it.  I'd been gone for six months.  Who knew what could have happened in that time?

            I gasped as I felt the first of my new powers.  I was now linked to _every_ lifeforce on Earth, and I could focus on any one of them at will and know everything about them.  As I suspected, the strongest I could feel was Phoebe's.  Focusing on her, I found that she was in public, at P3 to be exact, so I couldn't just appear there, assuming I still had a teleportation ability.  I ran to the garage and hopped into my Corvette.

            I arrived at P3 about ten minutes later.  As I walked down the stairs, I was surprised to see Phoebe sitting at a booth with another guy.  I felt a pang of jealousy, but quickly suppressed it.  I hadn't been there in months, so how should Phoebe have known any differently?  Before I could lose my nerve, I quickly walked over to the booth.  I knew the exact moment that Phoebe saw me.  Her face completely drained of color, and her mouth dropped open in shock.  The guy turned around to look at me.

            Putting a lopsided smile on my face, I said, "Told you I'd be back."

            "Is this your ex?" the guy said with a scowl.

            "No, Miles," Phoebe said in a cracked voice as she managed to regain her wits.  "Excuse me," she said to him, standing up.  Grabbing my arm, she pulled me off to the side and out of view.  Before I could say a word, Phoebe flung her arms around me and kissed me with what I'm sure was as much passion as she was capable of.

            I felt her tears running down her cheeks, and I pulled back and wiped them away with my thumbs.  "Shhh, it's ok," I said.

            "You died in my arms," she sobbed.  "You died...and then your body orbed out on its own.  We never figured out what happened."  She rested her head against my chest.  "How are you here?"

            "It's a long story," I said, "but it's for real, no doubt about that."

            "Phoebe?" said Piper's voice.  "Miles said that you were..."  She trailed off as she saw me.  "Oh my God..."

            "I have a feeling I'm going to be getting a lot of that tonight," I said.  Phoebe playfully slapped my arm.  Sensing Piper's anxiety, I asked, "What's wrong?"

            "We've got a situation," Piper explained.  She turned, and we followed her back to her office.  As we first walked in, I noticed Leo and Paige.  However, I ignored their shocked gasps as I saw the third person in the room.

            "Oh, you've got to be kidding me," I said as I stared at Cole.

            "Look who's talking," Cole retorted.

            That just pissed me off.  Before I even knew what I was doing, a white, Source-style fireball had left my hand and slammed Cole into the wall.  While Cole got to his feet, everyone else stared at me in shock, while I gave a curious look to my hand.  "That was...unexpected," I said sheepishly.

            Cole brushed himself off and smirked at me.  "You got stronger.  Well, so did I."  Cole flung an energy ball at me.  It knocked me back a few feet, but I was unharmed.  I started to conjure another fireball, when Paige yelled, "HOLD IT!"

            Cole and I glared at each other, but let our respective magical weapons dissipate.  "You two can battle to the death later," Paige continued, glaring at me.  "Right now, Cole needs our help."

            "WHAT!" Phoebe and I exclaimed.

            "Desperate demons call for desperate measures," Piper said sagaciously.

            Cole had managed to calm himself down, and said, "I think someone's been trying to drive me crazy."

            "That makes two of us," Phoebe muttered.  I made a mental note to ask her about Cole later on.

            Cole told us about the strange visions he'd been having, how he'd seen people appear to him as demons.  Suddenly, I felt a chill and shivered.

            "Michael, are you alright?" Phoebe questioned nervously.

            "No," I answered.  "I sense something...cold...evil.  I don't know what it is, but it's not good."

            Phoebe nodded, and then cocked her head, as though listening to something.

            "Are you listening to me?" Cole asked impatiently.

            "Yeah," Phoebe growled.  "But Cole, I'm not going to allow you to drag me back into your evil world."

            "I need to figure out what's going on before someone gets hurt," Cole insisted.

            "How do I know this isn't another one of your tricks to get me back?" Phoebe countered.

            "My tricks...?" Cole repeated incredulously.  At that moment, I suddenly felt the evil vanish.  "This is no trick.  I'm seriously afraid of what I might do and I'm begging for your help."

            "I'm sorry Cole, I can't," Phoebe said sadly.  "I have to draw the line sometime and I'm going to draw it right now."

            Cole frowned for a moment before blurring out.

            "Listen, far be it for me to take his side, but what if he's actually telling the truth?" Paige commented.

            "I agree," Piper added.  "If there's a demon out there powerful enough to mess with Cole's mind..."

            "Then it's his problem," Phoebe interrupted.  "It's not ours and it's not mine anymore."  Turning to me, she said, "Can we talk?"

            "Of course, but what about your date?" I asked with a pang of pain in my voice.

            "I think he can wait a bit longer," Phoebe said, looking away from me.

            We were silent for a couple of moments before we turned to each other and asked at the same time, "So what did you...?"  We both laughed.

            "You go first," Phoebe said.

            I sighed.  "How did Cole manage to get back?"

            The light in Phoebe's eyes faded.  Cole was clearly a difficult subject for her at the time.  "Cole managed to hold on in the Wasteland.  The fact that he was half-human, combined with the fact that he still loved me, kept him from being devoured.  Somehow, he started absorbing the powers of other vanquished demons.  After a while, he came back for good, but not before becoming the most powerful demon I've ever encountered."  She paused, collecting herself.  "How did you manage to get back?"

            "When I...vanished, a group of beings called the Powers That Be intervened," I started.  "They gave me a choice:  I could either move on into the Afterlife, or they'd resurrect me and make me a powerful agent of Good.  Naturally, I chose the second choice."

            "Why?" Phoebe asked, although I could feel that she already knew the answer.

            "Because it was the only way to be with you," I said.

            Phoebe said nothing and looked away again.  I wondered if I pressed too hard.  After another minute of uncomfortable silence, we turned back to each other and said the other's name at the same time.  I sighed.  "I won't push, Phoebe.  I'll wait."

            Phoebe hesitated for a moment before replying, "I want to be with you, believe me, I really do...it's just..."  She trailed off.

            I picked up on her words.  "I understand," I said solemnly.  "Nothing in life is ever easy.  If it were always so, nothing in life would be worth anything...including love."

            Phoebe nodded, and sighed sadly.  "I should get back to Miles," she said.

            "Yeah," I said, doing my best to hide the sadness in my voice.

            Phoebe reached up and caressed my cheek for a moment before turning away and walking back to the booth.

            "Damn it," I hissed under my breath.  I turned to see Piper and Paige staring at me.  I slowly walked over to them, my disappointment all too evident.

            "I'd guess since Phoebe is sitting with Miles, that means things didn't go well for you?" Piper remarked.

            "That's putting it mildly," I groaned.  "Then again, I probably should have been expecting this.  It has been six months after all."  I paused a moment.  "I told her I'd give her time to sort things out before we talk about the possibility of being together."

            "If only Cole could have been as reasonable as you," Piper muttered.

            "Speaking of Cole, now what?" Paige said.  "We can't just sit around here doing nothing."

            "No," Piper agreed, "unfortunately, Cole is really powerful and if some demon is trying to manipulate him..."  Piper trailed off.  At that moment, I felt the chilling evil presence again.

            "Hello?  You were saying?" Paige pressed.

            "On second thought, maybe we should just let it go," Piper remarked.  As Piper spoke, the presence vanished.

            "Let it go?" Paige asked incredulously.

            "Yeah, it wouldn't be the first time Cole's been less than honest with us," Piper pointed out.  "Maybe Phoebe's right, it's not really our problem."

            "Yeah, it's not our problem until he hurts us," Paige reminded her with annoyance.

            "True," Piper remarked.  At that moment, I felt the evil rise again.  "But then again, why should we trust him?  He's brought us nothing but misery in the past."  Again, as Piper finished speaking, the evil presence faded.

            "What is wrong with you?" Paige demanded.  "Is this Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Piper?  Make up your mind, lady."

            "Look," Piper said, exasperated, "all I know is that the more I think about it, the more I agree with Phoebe.  We don't need to go looking for trouble; trouble comes to find us anyway."

            "But..." Paige started.

            "Paige, look, two against one, ok?" Piper said, ending the conversation.  She then turned and walked away.

            "That was weird," I remarked.

            "Yeah, tell me about it," Paige said.  "I've never known Piper to be so fickle."

            "Hmmm..." I said.  "You know, I felt that evil presence again.  The weird thing was it kept on coming in after Piper agreed with you, and disappeared after she changed her mind."

            "You think something made Piper keep on changing her mind?" Paige suggested.

            "It's possible, but it's definitely probable that it has something to do with what's happening with Cole," I commented.  Looking down at my watch I added, "Look, I'm going to go.  Tell Phoebe I'll call her, ok?"

            "Sure," Paige said.  As I turned to leave, I Paige added, "It's good to have you back."

            "Thanks," I said with a half-smile.  Tearing myself away from watching Phoebe at her booth, I went back up the stairs, outside...to misery.

            After I got back home, I spent a couple of hours mulling over things trying to figure out what was going on.  Suddenly, I felt an icy chill run up and down my spine.

            Something was very, _very_ wrong...

            Without thinking, I focused on the disturbance.  The world dissolved in a wall of white flames.  When I materialized, I found myself in Cole's penthouse, looking at a prostrated Cole, a shocked Paige, and...

            "Oh, no..." I said in disbelief.

            "Barbas..." Cole said softly.

            Noticing the demon for the first time, Paige quickly ran to protect Cole.  "Who's Barbas?" she asked.

            "The Demon of Fear," Cole and I replied simulatenously.

            "Oh, I'm so much more than that now," Barbas said smugly.  I saw Cole gesture to conjure an energy ball, but to my utter shock, _nothing happened_.  "Looking for this?" Barbas said with a sneer, forming an energy ball.  Before I could react, he'd thrown it and sent Cole sailing into one of the penthouse balcony doors.  "Ooh, very cool powers," Barbas remarked.  Paige and I ran to check on Cole.  "I can hardly wait until I have full control over them.  Paige, thank you so much for setting me free.  Your sisters will be so proud of you," Barbas said with a snigger.

            Finally regaining my wits, I threw a fireball at Barbas, but he blurred out just before it would hit him.  "Damn it!" I cursed.

            "Cole's hurt bad," Paige said, pressing her fingers to his neck.

            "I'll take him," I said, lifting Cole's prone form onto my shoulders.  Focusing on the Manor, I flamed out, sensing Paige's orb trail right behind me.

            We materialized in the conservatory.  "Piper, are you here?" Paige called.

            Piper walked in a moment later.  "Paige, where have you...oh, no..." she trailed off, seeing a bruised-up Cole.

            "No time to explain just yet," Paige said.  Turning to me, she said, "Michael, can you go to P3 and get Phoebe?"

            "Sure, no problem," I said.  I thought of a darkened corner of the club, and flamed to it.  I materialized to see Phoebe and Miles still at their both, talking.  I quickly walked over.

            Phoebe cut herself off in mid-sentence upon seeing my distraught look.  "What's wrong?" she asked anxiously.

            "Emergency," I said with a wink, implying that magic was involved.

            Phoebe groaned.  Turning to Miles, she said, "Sorry about this.  I'll call you, ok?"

            "Sure," Miles said, laying down money for the drinks.  "Excuse us," Miles said pointedly to me.  I glared before turning away.  Still, I caught the reflection of him kissing Phoebe in one of the overhead panels, and tried not to puke.

            After Miles left us alone, Phoebe said, "So, what's going on?"

            "You're not going to like it," I said, leading her back to the darkened corner.

            "What are we doing over here?" she asked, confused.  "And how did you get here anyway?"

            "Like this," I said with a slight grin.  I flamed us out before Phoebe could comment.  As soon as we materialized, though, Phoebe pushed herself away from me, a frightened look on her face.  "What's wrong?" I asked.

            "You...you _flamed?!?" Phoebe shouted in disbelief._

            "Um, yeah," I said, not understanding what she was afraid of.  "I actually wasn't sure if I was even going to have a transportation power."  Noticing that she was backing away from me, I said, "What's wrong?"

            "I knew it was too good to be true," Phoebe said coldly.  "You're Michael's demonic half, aren't you?  Thought you could fool me, did you?"

            "Phoebe, what the _hell_ are you talking about?" I exploded.  I couldn't understand why she was being so irrational.

            "Flaming was a power that belonged to the Source," Phoebe hissed.  "Somehow you must have picked it up from Cole when he got vanquished."

            "This is crazy, Phoebe," I said, shaking my head.  She opened her mouth to speak again, but Leo orbed in at that moment.

            "Michael, Phoebe...what's going on?" he asked warily, noticing the tension.

            "Phoebe thinks I'm a demon.  Otherwise, everything's peachy," I remarked in annoyance.

            "She thinks _what?_" Leo stated incredulously.  Turning to Phoebe, he continued, "Phoebe, I just got back from talking with the Elders, and they confirmed my suspicions about Michael's powers..."

            "So, he is a demon?" she said, glaring at me.

            "_No, Phoebe," Leo said firmly.  "Michael is the Guardian of Life.  He was assigned his position by the Powers That Be.  They outrank the Elders, Phoebe.  There is only one Being on the side of Good that is higher than they are."_

            Phoebe swallowed, an embarrassed flush coming to her cheeks.  Turning to me, she said, "I'm sorry.  It's just a little disconcerting to see you with that much power, especially that power, considering..."

            "I know," I interrupted.  "Look, we can talk about this later.  Right now, we have more pressing issues to deal with."  I pointed to the conservatory.  As we walked in, I knew things were about to get very ugly between the sisters.

            "So what was the demon's name?" I heard Piper say as we walked in to the room.

            "Barbas," Paige answered.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Phoebe go pale with shock.

            "_Barbas__...?" Piper repeated in shock.  "I can't believe this...you couldn't have brought back Andras or Shax or _somebody we could actually vanquish?_"_

            "Ok, heal now, yell later," Paige said, noticing Leo's presence.  "Cole's injured."

            "Leo can't heal evil," Phoebe spat.

            As Phoebe finished speaking, I focused on Cole's lifeforce.  My eyes widened in shock.  "I don't believe it," I said.  "He's _human_...completely, 100% human, no demonic aftertaste whatsoever."  I walked over toward Cole.

            Paige smiled slightly.  "I knew it.  The potion worked; I stripped him of his demonic powers."

            "And gave them to Barbas," Piper reminded her.

            As I put my hand over Cole's neck to check his pulse, a white light suddenly sprang forth.  "What the hell?" I stated dumbly, my voice soft.  "Talk about powers up to wazhoo..."  Only Leo had noticed what had happened, and he smiled reassuringly.  The girls, however, had not yet noticed.

            "Listen, I really don't need a lecture right now," Paige said.

            "No, you really do, because you have no idea what you've done and now we have a serious problem," Piper countered.

            "Um, guys," I interrupted.  The others turned to see the healing light fade, and Cole opened his eyes.  "Welcome back," I said with a smirk.

            "I'm never going to live this down," Cole muttered as I helped him up.  My smirk widened at his words.

            "Great, he's not evil," Piper remarked dismissively, "but we've still got a problem."

            "What happened?" Cole asked, rubbing his head.

            "What happened is the worst demon we've ever faced tricked you and Paige into freeing him and now he has your powers," Phoebe said coldly.  Evidently, even without his powers, Cole's presence disgusted her.

            "I'm really sorry," Paige apologized.

            "I think we should give Paige a break," Leo advised.  "She was just acting on her instincts."

            "I agree," I added.  I ignored the glare I received from Phoebe.  I was still a little upset with her for lashing out at me.

            "Paige, we know you're really sorry and it's not the fact that you screwed up that we're upset about," Piper said gently.  "It's the fact that you didn't listen to us."

            "We've just had a lot more experience than you do," Phoebe added.  "We've been at this a lot longer."

            "Holy shit," I said, smacking my forehead.  "I can't believe I didn't put the pieces together before now."  Seeing the others' confused looks, I continued, "You remember that evil presence I kept on feeling?  I think that was Barbas.  He manipulated _all of you to get Paige to strip Cole's powers."_

            "Astral projection," Cole suggested.  "That's the only way he could have done it from Purgatory."

            "I agree," Leo said.

            "Alright, so, what does this Barbas do?  What's his thing?" Paige asked.

            "He brings really bad things to life," Piper explained.

            "Your worst fears to be exact," Leo added.

            "And who know what we can expect now that he has Cole's demonic energy," Phoebe reminded.

            "I'll do everything in my power to help you guys fight him," Cole offered.  Although I still didn't like the guy all that much, I was surprised to find that he was genuinely offering his help.

            "Well, unfortunately, anything in your power right now isn't a whole hell of a lot," Piper pointed out.

            "But I'm the only one who knows how my powers work, how he might use them," Cole remarked.

            "He's got a point," Leo pointed out.

            "Besides," I interjected, "you still do have one super-powerful being here to back you up, remember?"

            "True," Paige remarked.  "I guess the obvious question is what he's going to next."

            "Get even, what else?" Phoebe said impatiently.

            "Actually, I'm a little worried he didn't try to do that already," Cole commented.  I picked up on Cole's subtext instantly.

            The others, however, did not.  "That's funny.  That didn't occur to me as something to worry about," Piper said grudgingly.

            "Well, if I'm right, you've got bigger problems," Cole countered, not backing down.  "If he gains control of my powers he may try to use them to reorganize the Underworld, become the next Source.  You have to get to him before he does, or he'll be impossible to stop."

            After about fifteen minutes of searching through various texts, we weren't much closer to finding a sure way to take out Barbas.  "There has to be a vanquish for him in here somewhere," Paige insisted.

            "We've never been able to vanquish him, just neutralize him," Phoebe remarked.

            "Actually, we didn't," Piper remarked.  "Prue did."

            "Well, maybe you can just do whatever Prue did to banish him last time," Paige suggested.

            Phoebe sighed and said, "It won't work."

            "Prue didn't banish him with a spell," Leo mentioned.  "She banished him by conquering her fears."

            "Conquering fears isn't going to vanquish him anymore anyway, not with my powers inside him," Cole pointed out shrewdly.

            "If it came down to it, I probably could take him out myself," I remarked thoughtfully.  "A few direct fireballs should do it."

            "Last resort," Phoebe said, a hint of worry in her voice.  I smiled, grateful that her earlier fear of me appeared to be dissipating.

            "Phoebe, we don't even know if Barbas could prey on Michael's fears," Paige interjected cautiously.

            Apparently, it wasn't cautious enough.  Phoebe whirled on Paige, taking the Book of Shadows from her, saying, "Ok, you know what?  Time's up.  Let me look."

            "Oh, ok," Paige said with a slight sniff.  "Apparently, saying I'm sorry a hundred and twelve times didn't work.  Maybe a hundred and thirteen...I'm sorry."

            "Paige, I'm not trying to make you feel bad," Phoebe said in a softer tone.  "It's just, you know, you pulled me away from my third date with Miles...a _third_ date."

            "Please, spare me," I groaned, wanting to discuss _anything_ besides Miles.  Phoebe winced, realizing what she had done.

            "A hundred fourteen...I'm sorry," Paige said, her sadness evident.

            I was about to intervene, when I received a surprise:  Cole beat me to it.

            "Shouldn't you guys give Paige a break?" Cole said sharply, glaring at Phoebe.  "She had good intentions.  That's got to count for something."

            Giving Cole an amazed look, Paige said, "Thank you...I think."

            "Where'd that come from?" Piper wondered, just as amazed.

            "The only place it could:  his heart.  Cole's good now," Leo said firmly.

            "Yeah, well, it doesn't change anything," Phoebe said immediately.

            Cole would not be so easily subdued.  "Doesn't it?" he countered.  "You're the only one who's seen that side of me.  It's the side you fell in love with."

            "Please don't go there," Phoebe begged.  I could tell that the conversation was unnerving her.

            Fortunately, Piper managed to change the subject.  "And more importantly, since you don't have any powers, maybe Leo should take you someplace safe."

            "No, you'll need me to fight Barbas," Cole insisted.

            "If Cole is good, doesn't that make him an innocent, and doesn't that mean that we need to protect him now?" Paige reasoned.

            "Besides, like I said, I _can_ handle Barbas if I have to," I reiterated.

            "They're right, you should go," Phoebe said.  Giving Cole an anxious look, she added, "Please."  Cole obliged, taking Leo's hand, and the two orbed out together.  As they did, I could visibly see some of the tension in Phoebe's shoulders leave.  "Ok, well, there's nothing in here," Phoebe continued.  "We're going to have to figure out a way to vanquish Barbas on our own."

            "Well, we could use the crystal cage like we did with the Source," Piper reasoned.  "They've got the same powers."

            "Actually, that might work," Phoebe said.  "We just have to find a way to get him here."

            "I can write a spell," Paige offered.

            "Well, that shouldn't be too hard," Piper remarked, ignoring Paige's suggestion.  "All we have to do is remind him of how much he hates us and he should come running."

            "I could modify the astral projection spell, and try to get him here," Phoebe suggested.

            "I'll orb him," Paige said, trying again.

            "Uh, no, Phoebe should go," Piper said, cutting Paige off.

            Seeing the disappointed look on Paige's face, Phoebe hastily added, "Only because I've already overcome my deepest fear the last time Barbas attacked.  He can't hurt me."

            "What was your fear?" Paige asked curiously.

            "Losing a sister," Phoebe remarked quietly.

            The girls quickly prepared the crystals, and then Phoebe said the spell to astral project.  While awaiting her return, I leaned down next to Paige and, making sure Piper wasn't watching, whispered, "They're just really stressed out.  Trust me, when this is all over, they'll apologize."

            "I hope so," Paige remarked.

            Just then I heard Phoebe gasp as she returned to her body.  "Incoming!" she quickly warned us.  Barbas blurred into the circle a moment later.

            "Paige," Piper signaled.  Paige immediately set the fourth crystal in place, and the energy field leapt up.

            "Got it," Paige confirmed.

            "_Prudence, Penelope, Patricia..." Phoebe began the Source vanquishing spell._

            "_Melinda, Astrid, Helen..." Piper chanted next._

            "_Laura and Grace..." Paige added.  Together, they chanted:_

            _Halliwell__ witches stand strong beside us  
            Vanquish this evil from time and space_

            Barbas exploded a moment later.  However, when the smoke cleared, to the girls' utter amazement, Barbas was still there.

            "I guess you wanted me.  Now you have me," he said with a grin.  With a wave of his hand, the walls and windows bricked up.  As he blurred out, Barbas added, "And now I've got you."

            "Shit," I swore under my breath.

            After checking the rest of the house, we came to the unfortunate conclusion that Barbas had sealed us in.

            "We're trapped," Phoebe said anxiously.

            "Like hell we are," Paige snapped.  She tried to orb out, but only bounced off the walls.  As she materialized, she added, "Ok, on second thought..."

            "Leo!" Piper yelled.

            "My guess is if I can't get out, he's not getting in," Paige said sadly.

            "Can you flame?" Phoebe asked me.

            "Already tried, same result," I said.

            "Well, I can get out," Piper said confidently.  She gestured at the wall, but nothing happened.  Even though it was futile, I tried a fireball, but it was absorbed.  "I can't get out.  We can't get out!" Piper yelled.

            "Ok, let's not panic because that's what Barbas wants us to do is panic, right?" Phoebe said.

            "Why doesn't he just kill us and get it over with?" Paige complained.

            "Because he wants us to suffer, that's why," Piper said grimly.

            "A little mental torture," Phoebe added.

            Suddenly, Paige turned toward the nursery and walked inside.  "Guys...?"

            "What's the matter?" Phoebe asked.

            "Don't you see it?" Paige said.  "The walls are moving in on me!"  Paige ran for the nursery door, but it slammed shut.  "Help, get me out of here!" Paige begged.

            "Is she claustrophobic?" Piper wondered.

            "I don't know, is she?" Phoebe said.

            "Paige, it's just a hallucination," Piper reminded her.

            "Yeah, honey, it's not real, you're ok," Phoebe chimed in.  Suddenly, Piper began to scream.  "What, what, what?" Phoebe questioned.

            "Tarantulas...lots and lots of tarantulas," Piper said, backing away.

            "No, there're no tarantulas," Phoebe quickly reminded her.  "This isn't real.  You're hallucinating, remember?"  Suddenly, Phoebe turned her head toward the doorway.

            "Miles?" she said incredulously.

            "Phoebe, he isn't real," I quickly stated.

            Phoebe backed away from the doorway in fear.  "This isn't real, this isn't happening," she said almost as a litany.

            "Come on, Phoebe, snap out of it!" I yelled.  Suddenly, Phoebe punched the air in front of her, and then shook her head.  "Are you back?"

            "I think so," she said.  "Ok, people time to get over your fears right now!"

            "Easy for you to say, you're not facing killer spiders," Piper said fearfully.

            "Neither are you," Phoebe insisted.

            Piper brought her hand up to her shoulder as though to brush something off.  She then stomped on the 'tarantula,' and shook her head a moment later.  "Yuck," Piper groaned.

            "Good girl," Phoebe complimented.  Soon enough, they were able to talk Paige out of her fear, and she emerged from the nursery a moment later.

            "He's not done," Piper said.  "He can't be done.  He's just playing with us."

            "We need a plan," Phoebe said.

            "Why don't I strip his powers like I stripped Cole's?" Paige suggested.

            "I don't think that'll solve the problem," Piper commented.  "Those powers are going to have to find a new demon home, unless...we give them back to Cole."

            "No, no, we cannot give them back to Cole," Paige said vehemently.

            "Why not, they're his," Phoebe said.

            "No, he knows what it's like to be good now," Paige said.  "Giving them back to him would be completely unfair and probably a death sentence."

            "He's the only one who knows how to control them," Piper reminded her.  "Anybody got any better ideas?"  Not waiting for an answer, she continued, "Let's go make the potion."  As we walked into the hallway, Leo suddenly orbed in, and he looked as though he'd been fighting.

            "Leo, what happened?" Piper demanded, rushing to his side.

            "Barbas...he attacked us," Leo groaned.

            "What?  Where?" Phoebe asked.

            "Downstairs," Leo said.  "I orbed in with Cole and the windows bricked over."

            "You left him down there?" Piper questioned.

            "Yeah, I came up for help," Leo answered.  "Besides, Cole knows Barbas's powers so he can get away from him."

            "Not for long," Paige muttered.

            "We need him," Phoebe said.

            "I'll go," I said.  "You guys work on the potion."

            "Do you think it's a good idea to split up?" Paige questioned.  "What if that's exactly what Barbas wants?"

            "Do we have a choice?" Phoebe asked crossly.  I knew that cross tone all too well; she was really scared for me.

            "Ok, let's go," I said.  We split up into our various tasks.  I walked downstairs and found Cole sitting in the solarium, looking somewhat the worse for wear.  "Hey, Cole, how are you holding up?"

            "Alright, I guess, considering everything," Cole said indistinctly.

            "Don't worry, the girls are working on a plan to take care of Barbas once and for all," I said, not able to bring myself to tell him about the potion.  Just then, I heard footsteps, and turned to see Phoebe walk into the room.  "What's up?"

            "I was wondering if I could talk to Cole for a minute," Phoebe said.

            "Oh, sure," I said, getting up, figuring that Phoebe had decided to tell Cole about the potion.

            As I walked into the conservatory, I heard Cole say, "I can't help but feel that this is all my fault.  I should have realized who was behind this sooner.  We wouldn't be in this situation, and..."

            "Shhh," Phoebe soothed.  "It'll be ok, Cole."  I smiled, glad that Phoebe was able to warm up to Cole a little bit.  A few moments, later, though, I heard a sound I definitely hadn't been expecting...the sound of kissing.

            _No way, I thought.  I walked back into the solarium, and my mouth dropped open in shock.  Sure enough, Phoebe was sitting on Cole's lap, kissing him passionately._

            "Um, this is _definitely_ not the time for this," I interrupted.  Phoebe got off of Cole and both stood up, turning looks of contempt at me.  "Why are you looking at me like that?"  Without warning, Phoebe and Cole's eyes flamed and turned black for a moment before returning to the normal colors.  "What the _hell is going on?" I demanded._

            "I finally realized my destiny, Michael," Phoebe said coldly.  "My destiny is with Cole...with Evil...not with a pathetic loser like you.  And, coincidentally," she continued, forming a fireball, "you're the only thing standing in the way of that."

            "Phoebe, no, don't do this, not again," I pleaded.  Even as I spoke, Phoebe released the fireball.  It hit my chest and sent me flying into the wall, thankfully unharmed.  As I got up, I felt a tickling in my mind.  Something was definitely not right...

            Suddenly, it hit me like a wave.

            I wasn't detecting a lifeforce signature from either Phoebe or Cole..._which meant they weren't real_.

            I got up and grinned.  "Nice try, Barbas," I said smugly.  "But I guess you didn't know about that particular power, did you?  Besides," I said, fixing my eyes on the evil Phoebe standing in front of me, "I realize that Phoebe would never voluntarily turn evil again.  Her inner goodness is too strong.  That being said..."  I gestured, and the Phoebe and Cole in front of me vanished.  I quickly ran to the stairs.

            However, I stopped short in the foyer, as I saw Piper doubled over in pain.  "No, no, not the baby," Piper groaned.

            "Come on, Piper, get up," I said, slipping her arm around my shoulders.

            "What...Michael," she groaned.  Suddenly, we heard Phoebe scream from upstairs.

            "Looks like we do this the easy way," I said, flaming us to the attic stairs.  We looked in to see Paige lying unconscious on the floor and Barbas raising an athame over a hysterical Phoebe.  

            Piper gestured and Barbas blew up, but reconstituted a moment later.  "Playing on an expecting mother's fears," Piper spat as we walked into the room.  "That was a good one...but not that good."  Piper raised her hand again, but Barbas blurred out.  However, at Piper's gesture, a few bricks disappeared from the wall, letting some light in.

            "What happened?" Piper asked as we knelt next to Phoebe.

            "I thought she was him," Phoebe sniffed.

            "I've got her," I said.  The healing light came forth.  As I healed Paige's wound, I asked Phoebe, "What were you afraid of?"

            "I'm evil," Phoebe said sadly.

            "What?" I said, shocked.  "No way, Phoebe.  I've felt the good in you since I first met you.  You are strong, Phoebe, much stronger than you think.  You faced the darkness within yourself and came out clean, and that doesn't happen very often Phoebe.  I don't believe for a second that you could make the choice to be evil again."

            "But..." she tried to protest.

            "No, not a chance in hell," Piper added.  Suddenly, all the bricks vanished.  "Leo!" Piper called.  Leo orbed in with Cole just as I finished healing Paige.

            I moved out of the way as Phoebe came closer.  "Paige, you're ok, thank God," she said, pulling her into a hug.

            "You guys ok?" I asked.

            "Yeah," Leo said.  "I'm glad the barricade came down.  I was starting to think we might never get in here."

            "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Phoebe apologized.

            "You're suffocating me," Paige mock-complained.

            "Oh, sorry," Phoebe said, giving Paige some breathing space.

            As they stood up, Cole said, "Um, well, I hate to break this up, but Barbas will be back soon."

            "I'm ready," Piper said.

            "Are you?" Leo asked Cole.

            "To take the evil back?" Cole questioned.  "No...but I'm not doing it for me."  He looked pointedly at Phoebe, who avoided his eyes.

            "Maybe you won't have to," I whispered quietly.  Suddenly, Barbas appeared and created a blast which knocked everyone else to their feet.  Piper dropped the bottle of potion, spilling it on the floor.

            "Miss me, my babies?" Barbas said with a sneer.  Piper gestured to blow him up, but Barbas shook it off.  "Oh, I'm a very quick study."

            "Oh, yeah?" I challenged.  "Then catch this!"  I hurled a fireball at him, but to my utter shock, it _deflected _back at me.  I barely managed to dodge it.  "Damn!"

            "Nice try, kid," Barbas said, "but like I said, I'm a quick study."

            "What do we do?" Paige wondered.

            "Ah, still alive, I see," Barbas remarked, noticing Paige.

            "You leave her alone," Phoebe snarled at him.

            Barbas gestured and made a wall that blocked us from Paige.  "Naughty, naughty, naughty," Barbas admonished us.  "Wait your turn."

            "Paige, orb the potion!" Phoebe yelled.

            "It's in a puddle," Paige pointed out.

            "You can do it," Piper encouraged her.  "Prue did."

            "Ah, but there's the problem," Barbas said.  "You're no Prue, are you?"

            "Potion!" Paige called.  The potion orbed onto Barbas, and he fell to his knees.  I watched as the evil energy rose out of Barbas and Cole stepped forward, absorbing it into himself.

            Barbas got up and tried to form an energy ball, but could not.  Cole grinned evilly, forming an energy ball of his own.  "Looking for this?" he said.  Cole threw the energy ball at Barbas, who exploded a moment later.  Cole looked over at Phoebe, and I saw a look of sadness come over his face as Phoebe took a step back from him.  Cole blurred out a moment later.

            Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.  "Well, I for one suggest that we definitely have fun tonight after all this," Piper said.

            "Sounds good to me," Phoebe said happily.  "I'm just going to go give Miles a call."

            The smile on my face froze.  Reality had just set back in, and I remembered that Phoebe was still not with me.  "I think I'm just going to go home," I said.  "I've got a lot of catching up to do with the company.  Besides, it would be rather awkward to be in the same room with...him."

            "Michael..." Phoebe started, but I raised a hand to stop her.

            "I can't," I said.  "I said I'd wait, and I will.  But I never said anything about liking it."  Before Phoebe could respond, I flamed out.

            I tried to work that night, but I ended up looking at a wallet photo of Phoebe and me from our time in New York, brooding.  Around 10:00 p.m., my phone rang.  "Hello?" I said.

            "_Hi, it's Paige," the voice on the other end said._

            "Hey," I said.  "I wasn't expecting you to call.  I mean, I figured you'd be down at the club with..."

            "_I know what you meant, Michael," Paige said.  "__I got your number out of the phone book.  I wanted to say that I feel really bad for you.  I mean, I know how much Phoebe means to you."_

            "I love her, Paige," I said.  "I love her so much, and the fact that I'm not with her is killing me."  I paused.  "But, I told her I'd wait, and I will.  Besides," I added, "I finally realized that I've been obsessing over her, and that isn't healthy, for her or for me.  I have other responsibilities of my own to worry about...my Guardianship, running the company."

            "_With things like those to worry about, she'll be with you again before you know it," Paige encouraged me._

            "Yeah, you're probably right," I said.  "Thanks for calling, Paige.  I really appreciate it."

            "_Take care, Michael," she said as she hung up._

            I hung up the phone, feeling much better than before Paige had called.  Somehow, I knew she was right:  it was only a matter of time before Phoebe came back to me.

            Of course, I had no idea then _how_ I knew it.  But, as it turned out, that was a consequence of another one of my powers that I'd soon discover fully in the near future...

TO BE CONTINUED...


	3. Destiny's Path

CHAPTER 3:  Destiny's Path

            Destiny is a complex idea.

            Some people think that free will governs everything, and that we are always in control.

            I found out that this is not the case at all.

            Throughout the week after my return, I had felt a malaise, albeit a small one.  Something was wrong, but I couldn't put my finger on it.  The answer eluded me, just beyond my reach...but not for long.

            A week after I returned, I was sitting in a plaza across from my building enjoying lunch.  As I finished, I suddenly heard a police siren blare.  Looking up, I saw Piper and Phoebe running down the street.  I immediately stood up and went across the street to see what had transpired.

            Rounding the corner in front of the local bistro, I saw the police taking a man into custody...and Phoebe with Miles, having seemingly saved his life.  She moved in to kiss him, and I couldn't watch.  I turned around to see Piper staring at me.  I must have passed her without noticing.  She opened her mouth to speak, but I shook my head and walked away.

            Despite Paige's reassurances, between board meetings and Guardian training, I was brooding, miserable without Phoebe.  I had fought so long and so hard to get back to her, only to find disappointment.

            As I made my way back to my office, I could feel the malaise subtly increase.  I shook my head, but I could draw no conclusions about it.  Suddenly, I felt a chill.  I looked around, trying to identify the evil presence that had appeared in range, but I could make no headway.  Sighing, I went back to my office.

            Early in the evening, I felt the Powers summon me.  Telling my secretary that I was not to be disturbed, I flamed out.

            I materialized the Guardians' Council Chamber.  Looking at the small circular table at the center of the room, I saw that my two brother Guardians, the Guardians of Death and Destiny respectively, had already arrived.

            "Thank you for joining us on such short notice, Life," Death said.  "Please, be seated."

            After I did so, I asked, "What's the problem?"

            "Apparently, someone has been interfering with Death's design," Destiny began.  "This has created Time Ripples, which I'm sure you felt by now."  I nodded, thinking of the malaise I'd felt.  "Time Ripples occur when something happens outside of the Path of the Universe, the order in which time is supposed to flow."

            "We need you to investigate, and find out who is doing this and how," Death said.  "I'd prefer not to 'correct' things if I don't have to, so I leave it to your discretion to find an appropriate solution."

            I nodded and said, "I will do my best."

            "That is all we could ask of you, Life," Destiny said.  "Remember: do not underestimate your powers as a Guardian.  You exist outside of time...remember that."

            I flamed back to my mansion, pondering over the best course of action.  I decided to inform the Charmed Ones, as they could be a great asset in my search.

            Besides, I hadn't actually talked to Phoebe for several days.

            I immediately went to the Manor.  When the door opened, a shocked Phoebe greeted me, "Michael!  What...what are you doing here?"

            "I've got something that I need you to look into," I said as she let me in the house.

            "Oh, well, now's...not the best time," she said nervously as she led me into the dining room...where I saw Miles.

            Paige almost choked upon seeing me.  "Um, Michael...what a surprise!  What brings you by?"

            "Oh, I just wanted to see how everybody was doing," I said.  "I'm sorry for interrupting dinner."

            "Don't be silly," Piper said warmly.  "Why don't you join us?"

            "Are you sure?" I asked.

            I could see Phoebe begin to protest, but Piper insisted, "Why not?  We'd love to have you."

            "Ok," I said, taking a seat next to Leo, who shook my hand as I sat down.

            Dinner proceeded with less awkwardness than I'd expected.  Miles was actually very interested in me, since he was a computer programmer and I owned a computer company.  Phoebe, however, did not look so enthusiastic about having us in the same room.

            Eventually, Miles told us about how Phoebe had saved her.  "You should have seen Phoebe dive out of nowhere.  She could easily have been killed."

            "And I'd do it all again," Phoebe said with a smile.

            "Yeah, that's Phoebe.  Friend to all," Piper said with a giggle.  "Would risk her life for a stray dog."  Phoebe glared at Piper, and there was an awkward silence.

            "So, Phoebe says you have a cabin in Tahoe?" Paige said to Miles.

            "Near heavenly," said Miles, pride in his voice.

            "He's going to take me there next weekend," Phoebe said happily.  I discreetly rolled my eyes.

            "Ohhh," Paige said.

            "So you a big skier?" Leo inquired.

            "He used to ski competitively," Phoebe explained.  "You should see the pictures he has up on his wall."

            At that moment, I felt a presence, and if it hadn't been for my extreme self-control, I'd have choked upon seeing Cole blur into the kitchen.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Piper had seen him too.  "I'm going to go check on some stuff in the kitchen," she said.  "Michael, could you help me?"

            "Sure thing, Piper," I said, getting up and following her.

            "Is Phoebe ok?" Cole asked softly as we entered the kitchen.

            "Oh, no you don't," Piper admonished.  "She's having dinner with a guy.  She's fine."

            "Listen to me," Cole insisted.  "I got a visit from a warlock today and he's after her guy."

            "Ok, well, thanks for the tip, we'll handle it," Piper said dismissively.

            "Well, I'll stay here on stakeout," Cole offered.

            "No, you can't," Piper said firmly.  "Look, warlocks, we can handle...demonic ex-husbands, we cannot.  You have to get out of here before she sees you."

            "Wait, did she get a premonition today?" Cole asked.  "Did she save some guy's life?"

            Piper was about to answer when we saw Phoebe begin to clear the table.  "Quick, she's coming, go!" Piper hissed.  Cole blurred out just as Phoebe entered carrying a stack of dishes, an annoyed look on her face.

            "Hey, look, I know you think Miles and I have nothing in common," Phoebe began, "but..."

            "Later for that," Piper interrupted.  "Look there is a warlock after Miles.  I just found out; don't ask me how.  You'd better get back in there.  Here, take these."  She picked up a tray of desserts.

            Phoebe reached out to take them when she paled.  "Uh, oh," she said.

            "What?" I asked.

            "Miles was killed while we were serving dessert," Phoebe said, turning to run back into the dining room.  We followed to see a warlock blink in holding an athame.  I was surprised to recognize the same evil presence I felt earlier in the day.  "Look out!" Phoebe yelled.  The warlock threw the athame, but Phoebe dove across the table and pushed Miles out of the way before it hit him.  The athame slammed into a chest behind the seat.  Phoebe knelt over a now unconscious Miles, checking on him.

            "He won't freeze!" Piper yelled after an unsuccessful attempt.

            "Blow him up!" Paige suggested.  Piper attempted to do so, but the warlock simply waved his arm and deflected it back at her, knocking her backwards.

            "Piper!" Leo yelled, rushing to her side.

            "I've got him," I said.  I formed a fireball and threw it, but the warlock waved his hand again and the chandelier fell, blocking it.  The warlock then blinked out.  "I need to find a way to get these guys to hold still," I muttered.  At that moment, I felt the malaise increase again, and I shuddered at the thought of what that meant.

            While Phoebe tended to Miles, the rest of us checked the Book of Shadows to see what we could find out about our mystery warlock.  Unfortunately, there was no information on him in the Book.  Piper decided to reveal Cole's appearance to Paige and Leo, and the fact that he knew the attack was coming.  Piper decided that we should go ask Cole what he knew, while Leo orbed up to the Elders to find out if they knew why the warlock had targeted Miles.

            After we filled Cole in on what happened, Paige added, "You could have told us he was a Jedi Master warlock."

            "I didn't know," Cole admitted.

            "Well, what do you know?" Piper asked impatiently.

            "His name is Bacarra," Cole started.  "He claims to be a future associate of mine."

            "How's he know that?" Paige demanded.

            "Because he was there," Cole explained.

            "In the future...?" Piper questioned in shock.

            "He came to tell me that Phoebe dies in six months from trying to save her boyfriend from the Angel of Death," Cole said.

            "Oh, shit..." I moaned.  "This couldn't possibly get any more complicated."

            "What do you mean?" Piper asked me.

            I sighed.  "Cole's right; Miles is supposed to die."

            "How do you know that?" Piper asked.

            "Later," I said, discreetly indicating that I did not want to discuss it around Cole.

            Paige asked why we couldn't do anything, and Piper explained that when Death puts someone on his list, that's it.  Cole revealed why Bacarra had come back, and when Paige pressed him about his association with him, Cole avoided it.  I smirked.  Although Cole had found enough power to block me from directly probing his mind, I could still tell that he was hiding something.

            Leo met up with us later on, and we decided to tell Phoebe what we knew.  "So, the Elders won't confirm or deny that Death wants Miles, so I basically took that as a confirmation," Leo said.

            "As do I," I commented.

            "Can you explain now what you mean?" Paige demanded.

            I sighed and told them about my meeting with the Guardians.  "There are too many coincidences," I concluded.

            "Still, I have to wonder, why would Phoebe get premonitions off a guy that she's not meant to save?" Piper said.

            "Miles isn't just any guy," Leo said, flushing slightly.  I could tell that he was embarrassed to say those things about Miles in front of me.  "I mean, they have an intense connection...physically and emotionally."  He flushed deeper.

            "So what, you think that their love connection opened up some sort of psychic connection?" Paige suggested.

            "Either that or her 'damn the world' attitude," Piper commented disdainfully.

            "Ok, Leo, we can take it from here," Paige said quickly.  After he orbed out, Paige said, "You know, Michael, you don't have to tell her if you don't want to."

            "This situation is my responsibility as a Guardian to handle," I said firmly.

            "Ok," Paige said as she knocked on the door.

            Miles answered it a moment later.  "Hey," he said.

            "Hi," Paige started.  "Sorry to interrupt, but is Phoebe here?  It's kind of a family emergency."

            "Yeah, ok, sure," Miles said.  He stepped back from the door, and a moment later, Phoebe walked out, closing the door behind her.

            "What's the emergency?" she asked, slightly exasperated.

            "Um," Piper started, "we have a strong reason to believe that it's, um, it might sort of be Miles' time to die."

            "Yeah," Paige added.

            Phoebe raised an eyebrow.  "Oh, really...and what makes you say that?"  Piper and Paige quickly filled her in.  "So, you want me to let this guy that I really care about die because Cole says so?" Phoebe concluded in disbelief.

            "Phoebe, this has nothing to do with Cole," Piper explained.  "You know as well as I do that you can't stop Death."

            "This has everything to do with Cole," Phoebe spat.

            "It's not just Cole saying it," Paige interjected.  "Um...Leo suspects that, you know, it might also be Miles' time to die."

            "Leo _suspects?  He _suspects?_" Phoebe said incredulously.  "That's the best you've got?"_

            "Um, well, actually..." Piper stammered, glancing at me.

            Phoebe turned to glare at me, but I forced myself to proceed.  "I had a meeting today with the other two Guardians, the Guardians of Death and Destiny," I began.  "From putting all the pieces together now, every time you've saved Miles because of your premonitions, your actions produced a Time Ripple, which has been felt by the Guardians as a sort of malaise.  A Time Ripple only occurs when an event happens outside of Destiny's Path, the way that time is supposed to flow.  Miles was supposed to die in that alley, Phoebe.  As much as I hate to say it, the only way to correct it and put the universe back on track is for him to die."

            Phoebe snickered.  "So, now both of my exes obsessed with me are agreeing.  Should I be surprised?"

            Her words were spat so harshly that I actually took a step back.  "Phoebe, this has nothing to do with Cole, and everything to do with..."

            "Michael," Phoebe interrupted, "I don't know what to believe, except that I got a premonition about Miles.  That means that I'm supposed to _save_ him.  The only evidence being offered to contradict that comes from a demon obsessed with getting me back, a Whitelighter who at best can only offer a maybe, and you, who...I don't even know what about you."  I opened my mouth to speak, but Phoebe cut me off.  "Find me real proof, not just..._feelings_," she spat.

            A single tear made its way down my cheek.  I replied sadly, "I'll go find Bacarra.  Maybe by then, you'll believe me."  I closed my eyes, locking onto the warlock's presence and flamed out.

            Bacarra's energy trail led me through various realms.  During my search, I mulled over my conversation with Phoebe.  Her accusations hurt worse than any demon ever could.  How could she think that I wasn't telling her the truth?  I just couldn't understand how she could be so bitter toward me.

            After about an hour, the energy trail came to a sudden an abrupt halt in another realm.  I cursed as I realized that Bacarra had set me up, and had found a way to make believe what I'd felt was his actual life signature.  But why...I suddenly found, to my utter horror, that I could not sense _anything from Earth._

            I immediately flamed back to the Manor.  What I saw the moment I materialized almost destroyed me.  I flamed in just in time to see two Bacarras, one of them throwing a fireball that incinerated Phoebe.  "Nooooo!" I screamed.

            "And then there were none," one Bacarra said.  Before I could react he threw another fireball and incinerated Piper, just as Leo orbed in.

            "Oh my God!" he exclaimed, seeing the three piles of ash.

            "You bastards," I hissed.  Suddenly, I had a flash of intuition as I realized another one of my powers.  Quickly grabbing Leo, I flamed us out, ironically to the alley where Miles had been supposed to die.

            "I can't believe it," Leo said tearfully.  "All three of them..."

            "Leo, I can fix this," I said.  "I just figured out another one of my powers.  I remembered something the Guardian of Destiny said about existing outside of time.  If that's the case, that means that I can move through it."

            "You're going to change the past?" Leo questioned.

            I nodded.  "I'm going to merge with my past self so I can make sure things go the way they're supposed to and not have to worry about memory gaps," I explained.  Suddenly, one of the Bacarras blinked in.  Before he could do anything, Leo had tackled him to the ground.

            "Go!" Leo yelled.

            I focused my power, and bright white light erupted around me.  It felt intense, like being born again.  I could feel every fiber of my being merging, changing to accommodate me.  I felt my past self's alarm, then shock as he realized what was happening.  Then acceptance, as I felt my vision and his overlap.  Soon, I was him, with my past self tucked safely away, an observer.  I found myself back in the plaza, only this time I knew what was coming.

            I looked across the street, and sure enough, Piper and Phoebe were there, trying to figure out which way to go.  Remembering which way the police car had been heading, I begged for forgiveness for what I was about to do, and gestured.  A moment later, Piper and Phoebe took off in the opposite direction of the police car.  By the time they realized their mistake, it was too late.  The gun went off seconds before Phoebe rounded the corner.

            I crossed the street but did not let them see me.  I saw Piper at the corner of the building like before, and I saw Phoebe crying hysterically over Miles.  I couldn't stand seeing her like that, not only because it reminded me of my own recent death, but because I had been responsible for her pain.

            I spent the rest of the afternoon contemplating what had happened.  I knew that the rules changed when I became a Guardian, but no one ever said that in order to keep the balance of the universe in line, I had to hurt the ones I loved.

            Finally, later in the evening, I decided to go to the Manor and see how she was holding up.  I flamed in as silently as possible, but one of the floorboards creaked as soon as I took a step.  I could hear Phoebe crying, and Piper comforting her.  A moment later, Paige walked into the hallway and froze upon seeing me.

            "What are you doing here?" Paige hissed.

            "I just...I heard what happened and..." I began.

            Paige softened and continued, "I think I understand.  But this may not be a good time, with Miles and all.  Still," she added as an afterthought, "you may be able to help.  Watch discreetly, and enter when I give you a signal."

            "What kind of signal?" I asked.

            "Just listen, you'll figure it out," Paige replied before walking back into the living room.

            I waited in the hallway, each second feeling like an agonizing hour.  I felt so horrible knowing that I had been a factor in causing Phoebe so much pain.  Finally, when Phoebe mentioned how she felt she was destined to be alone, I felt a sense of invitation, and realized Paige was reaching out for me with her Whitelighter sensing ability.  I walked in quickly, and the conversation stopped as Phoebe and the others looked at me.

            "Hi..." I said softly.

            "What are you doing here?" Phoebe demanded.

            "I heard about what happened..." I began.

            "Come to 'comfort me'," Phoebe snapped, "to take advantage of my vulnerable state and try and win me over?"

            "No, that's not...I just wanted to help you," I stammered.

            "Well, I don't need your help," Phoebe said coldly.

            I sighed as a part of me wept, the part of me that felt responsible for her pain, and I turned to go.  But the other part, the part that cared for Phoebe more than anything, stopped me, and I turned around.  "No," I countered firmly, "I'm not leaving.  You won't push me away that easily."  At this point, I noticed Piper and Paige quietly leaving the room, giving us privacy.

            Phoebe tried to keep a stern face, but her façade quickly crumbled, and then the dam broke.  She began to cry uncontrollably, and, walking her over to sit on the couch, I gathered her into my arms and stroked her hair.

            "Why does this keep happening?" she sobbed.  "You, Cole, Miles...every time I get close to guys they end up dying."

            I said nothing, but continued to rock her gently and whispered soothing words in her ear as she wept all the pain and despair she'd been keeping inside her for the months since my death, maybe for the years since I left her in New York.

            Finally, her sobs quieted, and Phoebe looked into my eyes.  "Thanks," she whispered.

            I smiled, and replied, "Anytime."

            Slowly, as we stared deeply into each others' eyes, we leaned into each other, and kissed.  As the passion grew, I realized that in five years, nothing had felt as fulfilling as Phoebe's kiss.  A few seconds later, however, my common sense kicked in, and I pulled back.  "No," I said.  "As much as I want this, you're hurting and vulnerable, and I can't...I won't take advantage of you like that.  It wouldn't be fair to you."

            Phoebe smiled sadly and said, "Michael, I may have been hurt in the past, but not by you, not once.  I've finally realized you are the one person I've always loved.  Cole, Miles, everyone else I've been subtly comparing to you.  I never got over you leaving me, I don't know if I ever could."  As my mind spun at her startling revelation, Phoebe continued, "Even Cole, I think I just got with him because he was so similar to you.  Smart, loyal, cunning, funny, you and he have so much in common.  But he's not you, and so I finally understand why it would never have worked out between us.  Michael, I love you, now and forever."

            I was speechless.  I'd never realized how deep her feelings for me really were.  Finding no words to express the emotions raging through me, I leaned down, and kissed her gently, once again quickly becoming passionate.  Suddenly, Phoebe pulled back.  "Michael, I do love you, but I need..."

            I nodded in understanding.  "You want to take it slower?"  As Phoebe nodded, I smiled and continued, "That's fine.  I've waited five years; I think I can wait a little longer."  Phoebe giggled.  "I'll see you...tomorrow."  I helped Phoebe stand up, and gently kissed her again.  I then turned and walked out the door.

            As I walked out of the Manor, my heart as high in the air as a cloud with the knowledge that Phoebe loved me, I almost missed it.  There, by the window, was a taint, a faint presence telling me that someone had been right by that window only a few minutes before.  As I examined it, I identified it and a chill went through me.  Cole had seen us kissing, had probably heard our private conversations.  For so long, he'd held on and fought for Phoebe.  What would he do now that he knew it was impossible?

            With effort, I banished those dark thoughts to the back of my mind.  Phoebe and I had just gotten back together.  Everything else could wait...but not for long...

TO BE CONTINUED...


	4. Surprises

CHAPTER 4:  Surprises

            For a week after Phoebe and I got back together, I felt like I was in Heaven...well, not the Elders' Heaven, anyway.  It felt just like old times, when we were dating back in New York.  It was the happiest I'd been in five years.  Because I felt that way, I decided to plan a little surprise for Phoebe.

            I came to the Manor on Saturday night to find her alone reading a book.  Of course, I'd specifically asked for Piper and Paige to be down at the club.

            "Hey, baby," she said happily, tossing down the book and pulling me into a kiss.

            "Hey yourself," I said with a grin as I pulled back.  "Want to go out?"

            "Absolutely," she said.  "Where are we going?"

            "Ah, that's a surprise," I said, grinning again.  I placed my hands over her eyes.

            "Can I have a hint?" Phoebe asked in her baby voice.

            "No, miss, you may not, because that would spoil it," I said.  "Are you ready to go?"

            "Yeah, I'm ready," Phoebe said with a giggle.

            "Ok," I said, and flamed us out.  When we materialized, I slowly led her forward, and said, "No peeking."

            "I won't," Phoebe said.  I could feel her grin, even if I could see it.

            "One second, one more," I said as I led her slowly forward.  When I had her in position, I said, "Look..._now."_

            Phoebe opened her eyes, and gasped.  We were in P3, and it was full of people.  Piper was on stage, and she shouted, "And here's the lead band member, Michael Smith.  Ladies and gentlemen, back by popular demand, DARK SIDE!!!!"

            "Surprise," I whispered in her ear.

            "What...why didn't you tell me?" Phoebe demanded, whirling around to look at me.

            "It was a secret," I said.  "Forgive me?"  I couldn't bite back the grin that came out.

            Phoebe gave me a mock-scowl before she pulled me down for a kiss.  "Get up there and show me what you've got," she said.

            I ran up on stage.  "Thank you, Piper, for the introduction.  How's everyone doing tonight?"  I received an enthusiastic response.  "Ok, well, for those of you who are familiar with the band, we used to tour the clubs in New York.  I decided to do this show because I wanted to remind somebody of that period in my life."  Off to my left, I could see Phoebe fighting to keep back the tears.  "I'd like to dedicate this first song to that special someone.  Phoebe, baby, you are my pride and joy."  On that note, I began playing the opening bars of Stevie Ray Vaughn's "Pride and Joy."

            _Well you've heard about lovin' giving sight to the blind  
            My baby's lovin' cause the sun to shine  
            She's my sweet little thing...she's my pride and joy  
            She's my sweet little baby...I'm her little lover boy_

            As I played the song, I could see Phoebe smiling happily, tears of joy streaming down her face...which was exactly the reaction I'd been hoping for.

            Our set lasted for about forty-five minutes.  When it came time for the encore, I had a sly grin on my face.  I had two surprises, which none except for me and the band knew about.  "Well, it's time to wrap up our set.  By way of a thank you to Piper for letting me and the band play here tonight, I have another little surprise.  Actually," I added, stepping over to the grand piano that had been hidden in the shadows, "two surprises...but, first, I need Phoebe and Piper to come up here."  I indicated two chairs that were on the stage.

            Phoebe had a look of utter shock on her face as she sat down.  "When did you learn how to play the piano?" she asked.

            "Oh, I always knew how, baby," I said, whispering right in her ear.  "I was just saving it for the right time."  Moving back, I caught the big grin she gave me as I sat down at the bench.  "Ok, now, this last song is very special to me, for a couple of reasons.  It was one of the first songs I learned how to play on the piano.  In addition, it has personal significance, as it's been a vivid reminder to me of the most special time in my life, and I can only hope that it can be the same for you," I said, directing the last of my comments to Phoebe.  I began to play, and I heard Phoebe gasp.  I grinned, knowing that she'd recognized the opening bars of Billy Joel's immortal "New York State of Mind."

            _Some folks like to get away  
            Take a holiday  
            From the neighborhood  
            Hop a flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood_

_            But I'm taking a Greyhound on the __Hudson River__ Line  
            I'm in a __New York__ state of mind_

            Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the tears welling up in Phoebe's eyes even as she was smiling brightly.  I knew she was remembering the happy times we'd had together.

            _I've seen all the movie stars  
            In their fancy cars  
            And their limousines  
            Been high in the __Rockies__, under the evergreens_

_            But I know what I'm needing, and I don't want to waste more time  
            I'm in a __New York__ state of mind_

            On cue, a spotlight lit up on the side of the stage, and I grinned as I heard the second gasp.  This time, it came from Piper, as she now saw Leo up on the stage, playing the saxophone.

            _It was so easy living day by day  
            Out of touch with the rhythm and blues  
            But now I need a little give and take  
            The New York Times, the Daily News_

_            It comes down to reality  
            And it's fine with me   
            'Cause I've let it slide  
            I don't care if it's __Chinatown__, or on riverside_

_            I don't have any reasons...left them all behind  
            I'm in a __New York__ state of mind_

            As Leo began to play the big solo, I glanced over at the girls.  Piper only had eyes for Leo, while Phoebe was giving me a look that said I had something coming to me later.  I swallowed, and Phoebe grinned, knowing she'd won.

            _It was so easy living day by day  
            Out of touch with the rhythm and blues  
            But now I need a little give and take  
            The New York Times, the Daily News_

_            It comes down to reality  
            And it's fine with me   
            'Cause I've let it slide  
            I don't care if it's __Chinatown__, or on riverside_

_            I don't have any reasons...left them all behind  
            I'm in a __New York__ state of mind_

_            I'm just taking a Greyhound, on the Hudson River Line_

            My fingers deftly danced up the keys, moving with an air of familiarity.

            _'Cause I'm in a..._

            I heard a burst from the sax, and Piper responded with a giddy shriek.  I followed up with another section of fancy finger work.

            _I'm in a __New York__..._

            Leo played another burst from the sax.

            _...state of...mind...yeah, yeah_

            As we played the big finish, _everybody _got to their feet and started cheering.  I got up from the bench and walked over to Leo, giving him a big high-five.  "Thank you very much!" I yelled above the din.

            A little while later, after most of the crowd had cleared out, Leo and I were chatting when we saw Piper and Phoebe approach us.

            "Nice job up there, boys," Phoebe said, standing right in front of me.

            "Um, thanks," I said with another hoarse swallow.

            "Leo, why didn't you tell me you could play like that?" Piper said sweetly.

            "Well, I just never had the right occasion," Leo said, just as nervous.  I'll tell you:  those Halliwell women are downright _scary_ when they're seductive.

            "Well, how about a private performance?" Piper said, her tone becoming more seductive.  Leo gulped, knowing he had no choice.  As Piper led Leo to her office, I couldn't help but chuckle.

            "What are you laughing about?" Phoebe said, echoing Piper's tone.

            "I..." I started, but gulped when Phoebe slipped her arms around my neck.

            Pressing her body against mine, she whispered in my ear, "Do you have _any idea how many brownie points you just earned?"_

            "Uh, not really," I said quickly.  The feeling of her warm body against mine was eliciting a reaction I hadn't fully felt in five years, and I was struggling to breathe properly.

            "Well," Phoebe continued, "why don't you take me home so you can redeem them?"  As she finished speaking, she arched against me, and I couldn't help the moan that escaped my lips.

            "I thought you wanted to take it slow," I said.

            "I did...but I don't want to wait any longer," Phoebe said, pulling back so she could look into my eyes.  "I need you, Michael...please."

            I managed to gather enough breath to whisper, "You have me, baby," before pulling her to me and kissing her senseless.  Phoebe responded with equal passion, moaning as my tongue took possession of hers.

            I barely remembered taking Phoebe back into the darkened area where we'd entered before and flaming back to the Manor.  The next thing I knew, Phoebe was lying on top of me in her bed.

            "I missed you so much," I whispered.  "It's been so long..."

            "I know, baby, I know," Phoebe said.  "But we're together now.  That's all that matters."  Suddenly, I saw tears appear in her eyes.

            "What's wrong?" I asked.

            "Thank you for earlier, Michael, for reminding me of what it was like five years ago," Phoebe said, wiping her tears away.  "It was one of the best times of my life."

            "Mine, too," I replied.  Looking up into her big brown eyes, I whispered, "I love you."

            "Love you, too," Phoebe replied as she leaned down to kiss me.

            There was no more talking that night, as Phoebe and I gave ourselves completely to one another.  For the first time in five years, I felt whole.

            I woke up the next morning feeling better than I had in a long time.  I found that Phoebe was already up, so I grabbed my clothes and went downstairs.

            As I walked into the kitchen, I found Phoebe engaged in conversation with Leo, Paige and Piper.  They stopped talking as they noticed my presence.  Phoebe gave me a big grin, and I came to stand behind her.  I wrapped my arms around her waist, and she leaned back, resting her head on my shoulder.

            "Good morning," she whispered.

            "And a good morning to you, too," I replied, giving her a kiss on her forehead.

            "You're here awfully early...or awfully late," Paige commented with a knowing smile.

            "Have fun last night?" Piper chimed in.

            "Cut us some slack," Phoebe said with a slight whine.

            "Alright, alright...we were just teasing," Piper said with a sisterly grin.

            "Yeah...so, nice job last night with the concert," Paige congratulated.

            "Thanks," I replied.  "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

            "We're not the only ones, right Phoebe...Phoebe?" Piper asked, but Phoebe's gaze was held by the front page of the newspaper.

            "Son of a bitch," Phoebe whispered.  We looked down and saw the title, "Unknown man slays robbers, burns them alive."

            "What is it?" Piper asked.

            "We have a demon to vanquish," Phoebe said tightly.  "Paige, what did you do with that vanquishing potion you made for Cole?"

            "I tossed it," Paige said quickly.

            "You _tossed it?" Phoebe stated incredulously._

            "Well, yeah, it wasn't strong enough," Paige explained.  "I tried it on that letter opener that had Cole's blood on it but it barely even dented it."

            "Ok, well, you have to figure out a way to make another one that's strong enough, and fast," Phoebe said.

            "Hang on a second, lady," Piper interrupted.  "What are you talking about?"

            "Last night, two guys held up a bar and a vigilante killed them," Phoebe said, pointing at the story.

            "Sounds more like you need an arrest warrant, not a potion," Paige commented.

            "Not when the vigilante is tall, dark, and handsome and can send people flying with the wave of a hand...no offense, baby," she said, glancing at me with a slight smile.

            "None taken," I replied.

            "Well, that doesn't mean it was Cole," Piper pointed out.

            "Did I forget to mention scorch marks?" Phoebe said sarcastically.

            "_That means it was Cole," Piper replied._

            "What are you going to do?" I asked.

            "Deal with it," Phoebe said firmly.

            I squirmed for a moment before saying, "I have a confession to make."  Phoebe turned in my arms to look at me.  "Cole has been spying on you...on us," I finished.

            "_What!" Phoebe demanded, pushing herself angrily away from me.  I quickly filled her in on what I'd felt when I'd left the Manor.  "How could you not tell me Cole had been spying on me?" Phoebe snapped when I'd finished._

            "I wasn't sure how to tell you," I said lamely.  "I didn't want you to overreact."

            "Overreact?  That bastard has been spying on me, and you didn't want to _overreact?!_" Phoebe shrieked, and I winced.  This was Phoebe at her angriest.  "From now on, I'd suggest you not try and think for me.  You obviously can't do it," Phoebe concluded icily.

            "Look, baby, I'm..." I started.

            "We can talk about this after we get back from Cole's," Phoebe said, cutting me off.  Grabbing my arm, she led me to the door.

            In the car, Phoebe said, "When we're in there, let me do most of the talking.  I know how to deal with him."

            "If you're sure," I said.

            Soon enough, we arrived at Cole's penthouse.  "You evil son of a bitch," Phoebe hissed as we walked out of the elevator.

            Upon seeing us, Cole sighed, "What do you want now?"

            "Did you kill those men?" Phoebe snapped.

            "What do you want from me?  I can't be good, and I won't be evil," Cole quipped.

            "She wants the truth, and so do I," I stated.

            Cole sneered at me.  "You stay out of it.  Being the fuck toy of the week doesn't mean you know anything."  As I felt fury grow in me, Cole continued, "Did she ever tell you about all the others?  She's spread her legs for so many men I've lost count."

            "You son of a bitch...!" Phoebe shouted as she slapped him.

            "We're not married, so take your boy-toy and get out," Cole said firmly.

            "Not until I know the truth," Phoebe said firmly.

            "Yes, I killed those criminals," Cole said simply.

            "You just don't understand," Phoebe said sadly.

            "Your fault I'm sure," Cole replied coldly.

            "They were human beings," I protested.

            "I thought I told you to shut up," Cole snapped.

            That was the last straw.  I started to move forward, but Phoebe stopped me, placing a hand on my arm and shaking her head.  Turning to Cole, she said, "I just came to warn you.  Touch another person and my sisters and I will vanquish you."

            As we began to leave, Cole asked, "Do you think you can really vanquish me?"

            "If she doesn't, I will," I promised firmly.

            On the way back to the Manor, I asked Phoebe what she and the others had been talking about before I came down that morning.  Phoebe said that the Elders had assigned Paige her first charge and she was very enthusiastic about it.  I smiled, thinking that this would be a valuable experience for her.

            After we got back, I went into the living room and turned on the TV.  However, Phoebe grabbed the remote and turned it off.  "We need to talk," she said quietly.

            "About what?" I asked.

            "Why didn't you tell me about Cole?" Phoebe snapped.

            "Oh...that," I said uncomfortably.

            "Yes, that," Phoebe said firmly.

            "I swear, I would have told you," I began.  "It's just that I...I didn't want you to jump to conclusions."

            "Like I said before, your trying to think for me is not a good idea," Phoebe said.

            "I know, I know," I sighed.  "It's just...I used to be just like him.  I know what it's like to want to be with someone, and to...have it seem like the person doesn't want me back."

            "Michael, you're not like Cole," Phoebe said simply.

            "We are very similar.  You said so yourself," I reminded her.

            "Except that Cole was evil, and still is," Phoebe pointed out.  Taking my hands, she continued, "Michael, you're not evil, and that's the difference.  Cole has always been evil, and evil can't love.  They can only pretend to love...and that's something that took me a long time to learn."

            I was about to comment, when we suddenly heard Paige yell, "Darklighter, incoming!"

            Phoebe and I quickly stood up.  As we made to run to the conservatory, we heard a scream.  We rushed in to see Paige kneeling over an older man with an arrow in his shoulder, presumably her new charge, and a Darklighter whose arm had just been blown off by an irate Piper.

            "What..." Phoebe started as the Darklighter vanished.

            I noticed the female elf in the room for the first time.  "Consider my application withdrawn," she said just before vanishing.

            "Damn it!" Piper yelled.

            Paige made to pull the arrow out of Samuel's shoulder, but Leo warned, "Don't touch it.  It's poisonous to you too."

            Piper moved closer to Phoebe.  Piper whispered, "Is that who I think it is?"

            "Mom's Whitelighter," Phoebe confirmed.

            "And Paige's father," Piper added.

            A few minutes later, Phoebe had successfully extracted the arrow from Sam's shoulder.  "Paige, go get the Book of Shadows," Piper requested.

            "Why?" Paige asked.  "We know it was a Darklighter."

            "No, there was something different about that guy," Piper remarked.  "You just go get the Book."

            "Fine," Paige sighed as she left.

            "You alright?" Leo asked Sam.

            "I'm still alive, aren't I?" Sam quipped.

            "Long time no see," Piper greeted him.

            Turning to look at the girls, Sam said, "Piper, Phoebe, how've you been?"

            "Michael, would you mind excusing us?" Phoebe asked.

            "Sure," I said.  "I really don't know much about this, and I've got some things I need to prepare for the board."  Giving her a smile, I said, "I'll call you later."

            "Ok," she said, leaning in to give me a kiss.  "I love you."

            "Love you too, baby," I said as I flamed back to the mansion.

            Not long after I got back, the phone rang.  "Hello?"

            "_Michael, this is Cole," the all-too-familiar voice greeted._

            "What do you want?" I asked.

            Cole sighed.  "_I'd like to talk to you, in private," Cole said._

            "I see," I said.  "Where do you want to meet?"

            "_Somewhere where no one will bother us," Cole said.  "__How about the Neutral Plane?"_

            "That sounds fine," I said, reluctantly.  The Neutral Plane did not allow sensing abilities in or out, providing a private atmosphere.

            After waiting there for about an hour, Cole finally blurred in.  I sighed.  "You could at least be on time...what?" I said, noticing the sadistic look on Cole's face.

            "You know, for one of the most powerful beings of the realm, you're an idiot," Cole snarled.

            "What are you talking about?" I snapped.

            "Did you really think I'd let you have her?" Cole sneered.  "No, the only thing I'm going to give you is the opportunity to watch her die."

            "_What have you done?!" I yelled, picking Cole up by his jacket._

            "Ah, ah, ah, you're wasting precious time," Cole said evilly.  I flamed out without another word.

            As I appeared in the Manor, I saw Sam about to heal Phoebe, and my danger sense flared.  "_No!_" I yelled, stopping him.

            "What is it?" he asked.

            "I don't know," I said.  I gaped as I saw the large wound on Phoebe's abdomen.

            "Michael," Phoebe gasped as she saw me.

            "What happened?" I demanded.

            "Cole," Piper said grimly.  "He and that Darklighter attacked us.  The Darklighter tried to shoot me too, but the baby protected me."  She swallowed hoarsely.  "Cole...he...he took a sword, and said to Phoebe, 'I've had enough of your leg-spreading slutty ways,' and then...and then..."  Piper broke off in tears.

            "That mother fucking son of a bitch," I cursed.  "I'll kill him..."

            "Kill later, heal now," Piper snapped.

            I did a passive scan of the wound, and shook my head sadly.  "We can't," I said in a choked voice.  "He used some damn poison on the sword, stronger than anything I've ever seen.  If anyone tries to heal her, she dies."

            "No..." Piper said in disbelief.  She turned and collapsed into Leo's arms.

            I took Phoebe's hand and squeezed it.  I prayed that she didn't notice that I was shaking with rage, but I could never hide my moods from her.

            "This wasn't your fault," Phoebe said softly.

            "How could I have been so blind?" I said, shaking my head.  "I should have known..."

            "It's ok, baby," Phoebe said, weakly reaching up to caress my cheek.  I placed that hand against my lips, tenderly kissing it.

            "Don't you dare die on me," I said firmly.

            Phoebe's lip quivered, tears pooling in her eyes.  "I love you so much," she whispered.  "Michael, take care of my sisters for me...please..."

            "Phoebe, baby, no, don't do this..." I begged.

            "I...love...y...you..." Phoebe exhaled.  Her eyes closed, and her hand went limp.  I felt her lifeforce diminish, and then vanish.  She was dead.

            I dropped her hand and stood up.  My fists were clenched tightly.

            "Oh, God, no!" Paige wailed.

            "I'm going to fucking kill him," I said, shaking with rage.  Before anyone could stop me, I flamed to Cole's penthouse.

            I found him facing the balcony.  "Turn around," I growled.

            "Come to vanquish me, have you?" Cole said as he did so.

            "You bastard," I hissed.  "You killed the only woman I've ever loved."

            "Hardly a loss," Cole said disdainfully.  "She was just a pathetic whore anyway."

            My anger flared out of control...and that's when it happened.  I could feel the power rising in me, stronger and stronger.  Suddenly, there was a burst of light around me.  When it faded, I could feel my link to Life more strongly than ever before.  The raw power at my fingertips was incredible.  I turned, and gasped at my reflection in the mirror.  My hair had turned white, and my eyes had gone from their usual deep brown to the purest blue.  My shirt and pants had been replaced by flowing white robes.  Turning to Cole, I said in a deep voice, "I am the Guardian of Life.  For your transgression, you must die."  

            I raised my hand, and a concentrated column of white flames shot from my hand and slammed into Cole.  He began to scream and the flames rose around him.  I kept the flame going until Cole appeared to have been consumed, and then I let my arm drop...

            ...and nearly fainted upon sensing Phoebe standing right behind me.

            I whirled around, and it was true.  Phoebe was standing there, along with Paige and Piper.

            "Phoebe..." I breathed, as I felt myself returning to my normal form.  "What...how..."  I couldn't form a coherent sentence.

            Phoebe was about to respond when she looked behind me, and her eyes widened.  "Oh my God..." she gasped.

            I turned around.  "No..." I said in disbelief.  It was impossible.

            Cole was not only still standing, he was unharmed.

            "What the hell...I destroyed you," I insisted.

            "They knew it wouldn't work," Cole sighed.

            "What the fuck are you talking about?" I demanded.

            "You can't vanquish me," Cole said.  "No one can."

            From the looks the others had on their faces, they probably thought the look in Cole's eyes was cold detachment.  However, I recognized it for what it was: utter horror.  I could feel something similar within myself, as I realized what we'd just discovered.

            Cole was invincible.

            After we arrived back at the Manor, Phoebe and the others filled me in on what had happened.  Apparently, only seconds after I left, Phoebe had suddenly wakened, and her wound healed on its own.  She showed me an apparent suicide note from Cole that had suddenly appeared next to her after that, and I realized that the poison Cole had used was a fake.  It was only meant to make Phoebe appear dead so that I would go and kill him.

            Later on, while Paige and Sam were talking, Phoebe and I excused ourselves and went to the conservatory.  Rather than turning to face her, I stared out the window in contemplation.

            "Baby, talk to me," Phoebe said, breaking my thousand-yard stare.  "What's wrong?"

            "Where do I start...?" I mused as I turned to face her.  "Cole's invincible, and probably wants to kill you, and..."

            Phoebe put a finger to my lips, cutting me off.  "Tell me what's really bothering you."

            I sighed.  "I felt you die, Phoebe.  I felt the life drain out of you, and then...nothing.  I've never been more hurt in my life.  I...I couldn't go through that again.  I'd never survive it."

            Phoebe pulled me into a fierce embrace.  "You never will," she said firmly.  "Michael Smith, I love you, and I'm sticking close to you."

            Phoebe and I held each other for several minutes, and I found myself relaxing in her arms.  Suddenly, Phoebe pulled back and said, "So, I'm alive again.  Maybe we should celebrate?"

            I could see the seductive glint in her eyes, and I grinned.  "What did you have in mind?"

            Phoebe ran her hand lingeringly along my chest, and then said seductively, "Follow me."

TO BE CONTINUED...


	5. Echoes

CHAPTER 5:  Echoes

            "It's about time you woke up, sleepyhead," Phoebe chided playfully as I walked into the kitchen.

            "If Piper hadn't been cooking breakfast, I might not have woken up for another couple of hours," I said as I sat down at the table.  "After last night, I think I needed it."

            Phoebe grinned at me.  "Hmmm..."

            It had been about two weeks since our battle with Cole.  Phoebe's "death" had definitely been a wake up call, so I spent more time around the Manor, just to be safe.  We weren't sure if or when Cole would attack again.

            That morning, I could not help but admire Phoebe's beauty.  When she caught my stare, Phoebe just shook her head and smiled brightly at me.  I barely fought the urge to grin.  I loved the way her left dimple was just a little higher than her right, and the way her eyes seemed to sparkle with the sun whenever she smiled.  That was when I knew, without a doubt.  I had to make her my wife.  I'd already bought the ring.  Hell, I'd _had_ it for five years.  Now, it was just a matter of the timing.

            My thoughts were interrupted by a very strange feeling.  I felt a surge along the lifelines.  It was...weird.  It felt like someone had just dropped a huge rock into a lake, and I was the feeling the ripples.  Whatever it was, it was powerful.

            Apparently, my unease must have registered on my face, because I suddenly heard Phoebe say, "Michael, are you alright?"

            I shook myself.  "I'm ok, but I'm sensing something really strange, a very powerful presence...I should go investigate."

            "Do you want us to come with you?" Piper offered.

            "No, I think I'll be alright," I replied.  I began to stand up, but Phoebe pulled me down for a kiss.

            "Be careful," she whispered.

            "Hey, this is _me_," I said with a grin.  I then flamed out.

            I followed the presence, tracing its source.  I materialized in a clearing.  Standing in front of me was a boy who appeared to be about twelve years old.  He had dark hair, piercing blue eyes and a smirk on his face.  "I've been waiting for you," the boy said in a cold voice.

            I could feel a chill run up my spine.  Whoever this boy was, he had a score to settle, that much was clear.  I wasted no time and threw a fireball at the boy.  However, he merely raised a hand and deflected it aside.

            "Most impressive," the boy said.  "However, I'm afraid you'll find I can defend myself against your attacks."  The boy conjured an energy ball and fired it at me.

            I concentrated, and managed to deflect the energy ball back at the boy, who barely dodged it.  Deciding it was time to up the ante, I shifted into my Guardian form.  I threw a stronger fireball, and this time I succeeded in knocking the boy to the ground.  "Who are you?" I demanded.

            The boy got up and brushed himself off.  "You'll soon find out.  It appears as though I underestimated you, so we'll continue this later."  The boy then blurred out.

            Puzzlement overwhelmed me as I shifted back to my regular form and flamed back to the Manor.  Who was that boy?  Something about him seemed oddly familiar, but I couldn't place it.

            I materialized in the living room to see the girls talking.  Their conversation ceased abruptly, and Phoebe jumped up and threw her arms around me.  "I was getting worried," she said, resting her head on my shoulder.

            "I told you not to worry so much.  I'm invincible, remember?" I reminded her.

            "What did you find out?" Piper asked.

            I gently pulled back from Phoebe and we sat down on one of the couches.  "I traced the power to a boy.  He was extremely powerful; I could only faze him when I was using the full brunt of my Guardian powers.  He seemed oddly familiar, but I don't think I've ever seen him before."

            "What did he want?" Paige wondered.

            "I'm not sure," I admitted, "but I get the feeling that this isn't over yet."

            "Alright, well, maybe he'll be in the Book," Piper suggested.  "What did he look like?"  I told her, and she said, "Ok, I'll see what I can find."  She went upstairs to the attic.

            "Are you sure you're ok?" Phoebe asked again.

            "Physically, yes," I answered.  "I'm a little shaken.  As I said, this boy was powerful.  In fact, the only other being I know of who is as powerful is Cole.  I'm just hoping that we can find a solution to this."

            "Me too," Phoebe said softly.

            "What's wrong?" I asked.  I could tell that something was bothering her.

            Phoebe stared down at her hands for a minute before speaking.  "We've been through so much," she said.  "We've almost lost each other forever.  I'm just scared that something is going to tear us apart again."

            "I'm not going to let that happen," I said firmly.  "I promised myself that I wouldn't lose you again, and I intend to keep that promise."

            "I'll hold you to that," Phoebe said tearfully.  She flung her arms around me and buried her face in my neck.  I stroked her hair with one hand while I wrapped my other arm around her shoulders.

            We held each other for a few moments before pulling back.  "Are you feeling better?" I asked.

            "A little," Phoebe said, smiling slightly.

            "You know," I said, "there was something that..."

            "_Guys, get the hell up here!" Piper suddenly yelled from the attic._

            I grabbed Phoebe's hand and flamed upstairs.  We materialized just as Paige orbed in.  We saw Piper on one side of the room, along with...

            "That's him," I said.  "That's the boy."

            "And he has the Book," Phoebe gasped in shock.

            I looked at the boy's arms, and sure enough, he was clutching the Book of Shadows tightly.  While it wasn't flying away from him, it was shaking in his arms, which meant that it was resisting.  The boy grinned and said, "It's mine now."  He then blurred out.

            "Oh, shit, that kid has the Book of Shadows!" Piper exclaimed.  "I tried to stop him, but my powers couldn't affect him."

            "Not so surprising, considering I barely fazed him before," I reminded her.

            "Well, we don't do so well without the Book," Paige commented shortly.  "We've got to get it back."

            "Leave that to me," I said.  Phoebe started to protest, but I continued, "This guy was able to survive my strongest attack.  You three probably couldn't even faze him with your powers."

            "So, what do we do if he shows up here again?" Phoebe asked.

            As though in answer, Leo suddenly orbed in.  "Your bosses work pretty fast," Leo remarked to me.  Turning to the girls, Leo said, "The Powers contacted the Elders about this boy.  They were so concerned about another being with so much power that they decided to give you a very special weapon."  Leo showed them an ancient curved knife which had runes carved into it.  "This is the Moonblade.  Its power level rises and falls in accordance with the phases of the moon."

            "The full moon is tonight," Piper pointed out.

            "Exactly," Leo continued, "so if the boy shows up here tonight, the blade should theoretically have enough power to vanquish him."

            "Good plan," I commented.  "Still, I'm afraid of what this boy could do now that he has the Book, so I'm going to go after him now."

            "_Please be careful," Phoebe begged._

            I reached out and caressed her cheek for a moment.  "Watch your back," I warned as I flamed out.

            I materialized in the same clearing where I'd fought the boy before.  Sure enough, he was standing there, the Book of Shadows on a stone pedestal.  "Come back for more?" the boy sneered.

            "Give me the Book, and I might not have to kill you," I said as Excalibur materialized in my hand.

            "A swordsman, eh?" the boy said.  "Well, two can play that game."  The boy gestured, and a sword appeared at me.  Quick as a whip, the boy flew at me, and I barely blocked his sword.

            We traded blows for a time, and all the while the feeling of familiarity grew in me.  As I stared at the boy, it suddenly hit me.  The eyes, the face...how could I have missed it?

            "I know who you are," I said.  Without thinking, I immediately flamed to Cole's penthouse.

            I materialized in the penthouse to see Cole downing a bottle of Jack Daniel's.  Upon seeing me in the room, he threw the bottle into the fireplace and snarled, "What the hell do you want?"

            I stood opposite Cole, and asked nonchalantly, "How did your son get out the Wasteland?"

            Cole visibly flinched, but his voice was steady as he spoke.  "He didn't just get out.  I saved him."  He turned eyes filled with pain toward me.  "Originally, I'd been intending him to be a surprise for Phoebe if we'd ever gotten back together, to show her that our son did belong to us, not the Seer.  Of course, that's never going to happen now."

            "Well, you may want to rethink your views on him, because he stole the Book of Shadows," I said firmly.

            "He did what?" Cole questioned.  "Damn it, I told him to just let it go..."

            "Let what go?" I asked anxiously.  Something wasn't right.

            "When I realized that Phoebe and I would never be together again, I used magic to accelerate his growth temporarily, which is why he looks and acts like he's twelve," Cole started.  "A one-year old baby would have been too much for me to handle.  When I explained the situation to him, he became angry, and vowed that he would make the Charmed Ones pay for what he saw as crimes against me.  I never thought he'd actually go through with it."

            "What was he planning to do?" I questioned.

            "He never told me the specifics, but it's definitely not good," Cole said, struggling to his feet.  "He's gone too far.  We'd better go now."

            "Ok, let's go to..." I started, when I suddenly realized what was wrong.  I could sense _nothing outside of the penthouse.  "Crap, I can't sense anything from in here, which could mean that the girls are..."  I couldn't finish the sentence._

            "Come on," Cole insisted, and we respectively flamed and blurred to the Manor.  My fears were confirmed when I saw the attic in a state of disarray, with no sign of the girls.

            I closed my eyes and focused.  "They're in the Underworld," I said.

            "I'm going with you," Cole said.  "I'm the only one with enough power to stop him."  I nodded, and we were off a moment later.

            We materialized a moment later to see the Charmed Ones huddled together, with Cole's son standing in front of them with two pedestals.  One held the Book of Shadows, while the other held...

            "The Grimoire..." I breathed.

            "Son, you can't do this!" Cole shouted.

            "I must, Father," Cole's son said.  "They must pay for their mistreatment of you."

            Phoebe's eyes widened.  "You're...you're..."

            "My name is Benjamin Coleridge Turner II, bitch," the boy snarled.  Phoebe visibly shivered at the coldness in Ben's voice.  "How else do you think I could have taken the Book?  Only agents of Good or blood relatives can hold it."

            "That's how he was able to look up that disempowerment spell," Paige realized.

            "Why are you doing this?" Phoebe asked.

            Ben glared at her.  "Spare me the innocent routine," he spat.  "My father loves you more than you can possibly comprehend.  He gave up his powers, his very existence, for you, to be with you.  Did you accept him?  NO!  You kicked him while he was down, and then, you betrayed him with that bastard."  Ben pointed at me.

            I started to move forward, but Cole held me back.  "We may still be able to talk him down," Cole said.  I nodded.

            "What are you planning to do to us?" Piper snapped.

            Ben grinned evilly.  "I'm going to sacrifice the three of you for a combination spell using both the Book of Shadows and the Grimoire.  This spell will bring the entire Halliwell line under my control.  And as the three of your burn in hell, you can watch as your ancestors do my bidding."

            "Son, no!" Cole begged.  "Be reasonable...this is not what I want."

            "How can you possibly still feel anything for this bitch, Father?" Ben snapped as he whirled on Cole.  "She killed us both, and almost destroyed your sanity.  Don't you think that says something?"

            Cole was about to respond, when I suddenly caught a swift movement out of the corner of my eye.  I saw Phoebe drawing the Moonblade from her inner jacket pocket and drove it into Ben's back.

            Ben eyes widened in shock and he gasped for breath.  Phoebe pulled the Moonblade out of Ben's back, and he burst into flames.  "Fa...father..." he gasped before he exploded.

            "_Son!" Cole screamed.  He fell to his knees and began to sob.  Turning his gaze to Phoebe, he croaked, "Why, Phoebe...why...?"_

            "He was evil, Cole," Phoebe said firmly.  "Our son was evil, because of you.  I had no choice.  And all this proves to me is that there must still be evil in you, Cole, for our son to have wanted to kill me."  Cole tried to protest, but Phoebe cut him off.  "I feel nothing for you, Cole.  No love, no hate, nothing.  Stay away from me and my sisters.  You may have tried to help us now, but sooner or later the evil will overtake you, and when it does, we're going to vanquish you.  And I'll never look back."

            Cole's face was contorted in pain and disbelief.  He gave one last glance to Phoebe before blurring out.

            I ran to the girls and asked, "Are you guys alright?"

            Piper and Paige nodded, but Phoebe said, "I'm not sure."

            "Book of Shadows," Paige called, and the Book orbed to her.  "Well, it looks like we've got our powers back."

            "What are we going to do about the Grimoire?" Piper asked.

            "Leave it," I said.  Upon seeing the girls' incredulous looks, I said, "If the Grimoire wasn't meant to stay in the Underworld, I'd be feeling Time Ripples, which I'm not.  I suppose the existence of a Source of All Evil is just part of the balance."

            "Are you sure about this?" Paige asked.

            I nodded.  "Let's get out of here," I said, taking Phoebe's hand.  We flamed and orbed back to the Manor.

            After we returned, I followed Phoebe to her room and closed the door behind us.  "What's wrong?" I asked her as I sat beside her on the bed.

            Phoebe turned tearful eyes to me.  "I didn't want to kill him," she sad with a sob.

            "I know you didn't," I said.  "You thought you were doing the right thing."

            "I couldn't let Cole see how I really felt about our son," Phoebe said as the tears came down her face.  "I wanted to save him, but I was afraid, and I acted instinctively, just like he was any other demon.  Oh, what have I done?"  Phoebe began to cry hysterically, and I pulled her into my arms and held her tight.  After a while, her sobs lessened, and Phoebe pulled back slightly.  "Seeing him didn't change my feelings about Cole, but I realize what we could have had if things hadn't gone wrong.  We would have had a son, a family.  I wanted that so much, and everything got messed up."

            I gently pushed Phoebe's head back onto my shoulder as she continued to sniffle.  "Don't give up on that dream just yet," I said quietly.  "You could still have a family some day."  I took a breath.  "You know..." I started, but then stopped.  "Never mind..."

            "What is it?" Phoebe asked.

            I turned from her, saying, "This isn't the right time for this, not with you in so much pain."

            "Michael, please don't pull back, not now," Phoebe said, her voice trembling slightly.  She turned my face toward her.  "Whatever you wanted to say, you can tell me."

            I took another deep breath.  "You know, we had become so close before I left New York.  Things were going so well for us, and I thought I could see and plan how things were going to turn out.  I suppose Destiny picked an interesting time to change things up on us."

            "What do you mean?" Phoebe asked, giving me a quizzical look.

            I hesitated a moment before reaching into my pocket and extracting the black, velvet ring box.  Hearing Phoebe's shocked gasp, I forced myself to proceed.  "I had every intention of giving this to you five years ago, but when my father died, everything got turned upside down."  I opened the box to reveal the diamond ring within.  I knew that I probably had only a minute before I'd lose coherent speech, so I continued, "I can give you your dream back, Phoebe.  I can give you a family, and a life overflowing with love.  All you have to do is say yes."  I moved off the bed and sank to one knee.  "Phoebe Halliwell, I love you with all my heart, and nothing would give me more joy than if you'd consent to be my wife.  Will you marry me?"

            Tears of joy began to roll down Phoebe's cheeks.  "Yes...yes!" she exclaimed.  I took the ring from the box and reverently slipped it onto her right ring finger.  Phoebe cupped my face with her hands and kissed me.  I could feel her tears on my cheeks.  She pulled back after a minute.  "I love you so much," she whispered.

            "I love you, too," I said as I wrapped my arms around her and held her close.

            Later on that night, while Phoebe was sound asleep, I decided to check on Cole.  I felt horrible about the way things had turned out, and thought that I should do something to console him.  I tracked him down to a local cemetery, where he placed fresh flowers on a grave.

            "My son, I apologize," I hear him say.  "But know your death wasn't in vain.  You've finally shown me an abomination in my midst.  She took my pride, killed me, but this..._THIS!  I swear to you, no matter what it takes, Phoebe Halliwell will pay the __ultimate price for what was done to you."_

            I felt chills running through me as I flamed back to the Manor.  Cole had been dangerous even when he was trying to win Phoebe back.  I was scared to death of a Cole who wanted revenge.  I knew I had no choice but to inform the Charmed Ones.  I only hoped that Cole could come to his senses before I had no choice but to find a way to kill him.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	6. Reign of Darkness

CHAPTER 6:  Reign of Darkness

            The first couple of days after Ben's death were tense.  Upon hearing my news, the girls were afraid Cole would show up at any second and kill them.  However, the fact that he didn't scared me more than that.

            When things seemed relatively calm again, Phoebe and I decided to spread the news of our engagement with the rest of the family.  Phoebe called her father and invited him for dinner.  I hadn't met Victor Bennett yet, but I'd hoped he didn't react the same way he did to Leo.

            Piper had risen to get dessert when Phoebe stopped her.  "Michael and I have something we'd like to share with you...all of you," she said excitedly.  Piper sat back down.  Phoebe took a deep breath and held up her right hand for inspection.

            "Oh, Pheebs..." Piper said, tearing up.  She and Paige immediately swept Phoebe up into a sister hug.  Meanwhile, Victor motioned for me to join him in the living room.  I gulped, preparing for the worst.

            We sat down opposite each other.  "You know, Phoebe's told me about you, about what you are," he began.  "She also told me that she's never been happier than when she is with you."  I smiled slightly.  "I still don't know everything that happened with Cole, but whatever you saved her from, I'm grateful."

            "Um, thanks, Mr. Bennett," I said.

            "Please, call me Victor," he insisted.  "Leo does."  We chuckled.  Victor turned serious again as he said, "Treat her right, Michael.  She's been through hell because of Cole, and I don't want to see her get hurt again."

            "I love her," I said firmly.  "I'd kill myself before doing anything to cause her pain."

            "I'll hold you to that."  Victor smiled and held out his hand.  "Congratulations, Michael."

            "Thank you," I said, shaking his hand.

            We decided to celebrate at P3.  Drinks were served and we all spent some time out on the dance floor.

            "So, are you enjoying yourself, my fiancé?" Phoebe asked as she danced with me.

            "Absolutely," I whispered, "although I know a way we can enjoy ourselves even more."

            Phoebe bit my ear and replied, "I like the sound of that."

            Suppressing a moan, I started to say, "Why don't we..."  Suddenly, I felt dizzy and almost collapsed.

            "Baby, what's wrong?" Phoebe asked.

            I couldn't answer right away, as I struggled to figure out what was happening.  Phoebe had called for Piper and Paige and the three of them managed to drag me away from prying eyes.  Suddenly, I _knew what was happening, and on instinct, I flamed out with the girls._

            When we materialized, Phoebe asked, "Where the hell are we?"

            "This is the Neutral Plane," I said, already recovered.  "It is a plane that exists outside of time."

            "Why did you bring us here?" Piper demanded.

            "I realized what I was feeling," I answered.  "Someone was changing the timeline, and the only way I could protect you from the changes was to bring you here."

            "Oh my God," Paige breathed.

            "Is it safe to go back?" Phoebe asked.

            "The changes are made, but to insure that you don't take over whatever roles your other selves had in the alternate reality, I'm going to put a shield on each of you," I explained.  I gestured, and each of the girls briefly glowed with a blue aura.  I extended my hands, and we flamed back a moment later.

            We materialized in a very run-down P3.  "What the...?" Piper breathed.

            "What happened?" Paige wondered.

            "I don't know," I answered.  "Everyone stay close to me."

            We cautiously ventured outside.  We saw people walking the streets, cars moving.  "Everything looks normal so far, except for P3," Phoebe remarked.

            "What's that?" Paige suddenly said.  We followed where she was pointing.  On the other side of a building across the street, we could see people holding torches.

            "Let's go see," I said.  We crossed the street and found a large crowd gathered.  At the back of the alley, a wooden stake was set with brushwood at the bottom.

            "Bring the witch forward," one man at the front said.

            The four of us gasped.  I saw Phoebe turning pale.  "Baby...?" I questioned.

            "Please, don't let it be true," she whispered.

            As some others down front began to tie a young woman to the stake, the man continued, "This woman knew the law.  She could have renounced what she was and followed the edict written by our great President.  Now, she must burn, as it is written."  The man raised his torch.  "Burn, witch," he said as he dropped it.

            As the flames leapt up around the woman, Phoebe turned into my arms and began to sob.  "Let's get out of here," I said in a low voice.  The four of us turned and walked back into P3.

            Phoebe continued to sob.  "I...I know how that woman felt," she whispered.  "I've been there..."

            Piper reached out and squeezed Phoebe's shoulder.  "We stopped that future from happening," she said.  "We can fix the present too."

            "Do you think we can get someplace a little bit warmer?" Paige asked as her teeth started to chatter.

            "Let's head to the Manor," Phoebe suggested, wiping tears from her cheeks.  "We can figure things out there."

            "Good idea," I commented.  We orbed and flamed out respectively.  However, as we were about to get there, we slammed into a barrier, and materialized across the street from the Manor.  "Damn it!" I cursed.  "I should have been able to get through that..."

            "Oh, that did not feel so good," Paige groaned.

            "You're telling me," Phoebe complained as she scrambled to her feet.

            "Oh my God...guys, look," Piper said.  We looked at the Manor and gasped.  A huge iron gate barricaded the property from the street, and gruff-looking guards stood at the entrance.

            "Something tells me you guys don't live here in this reality," I said.

            "And I doubt it would be a good idea to try and get past all those guards," Paige said.

            "So what the hell do we do now?" Piper asked.

            "We've got to figure out who changed the timeline," Phoebe said firmly.  "Once we do that, Michael should be able to fix it."

            "I'll need to know the exact moment and circumstance, but yes," I confirmed.

            "Hey, what's going on at the park?" Piper asked suddenly.  We turned to see a crowd gathered there.

            "I swear, if this is another witch being burned, I'm going to lose it," Phoebe muttered angrily.

            "We're going to fix this, baby," I said, taking her hand as we started walking.  "I promise."

            We reached the park a minute later.  We could see a very large TV screen set up at the bottom.  People where sitting all along the hillside.

            "Excuse me," I said to one man.  "What's going on?"

            The man grinned.  "The President's just running a few minutes late tonight," he said before walking away.

            "The President...?" Phoebe mused.  Suddenly, the screen lit up, and the crowd cheered.

            The screen showed the Great Seal for a moment before a voice said, "_Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States."  The picture then changed, and my mouth dropped open in shock._

            "Oh my God..." I breathed.

            "Cole..." Phoebe hissed angrily.

            "_My people, thanks to your hard work and effort, the bright future I promised you is taking shape," Cole began.  "_The evil witches are being exterminated, and soon my noble warriors will have the only magic.  I'm proud of you, and honored to help guide you into the glorious future that awaits us_."  The screen went blank._

            The crowd then began to chant, "Hail to our glorious leader; may his light shine over us forever."

            "I can't believe it," Paige said as we walked away.  "That son of a bitch is the leader of the free world?"

            "Or the un-free world," Piper snarled.

            "How the hell could this have happened?" Phoebe mused angrily.

            "I think we're getting closer to figuring out what changed in the timeline," I said.  "We only have one option now.  We have to go to Cole, and make him tell us."

            About a minute later, the four of us materialized in front of the White House.  Like the Manor, a multitude of demonic guards were present, along with normal Secret Service agents.

            "How are we supposed to get past _this_?" Piper wondered.

            "I have an idea," I said with a smirk.  "Follow me."  I started walking toward the gate.  The girls hesitantly followed behind me.  When I reached the gate, I said calmly, "We'd like to see the President."

            "And just why the hell should we let you through?" the demon said with a sneer.

            I smirked again.  "Tell the President that the Guardian of Life is here to see him," I commanded.

            The demon suddenly looked down at his checklist, and swallowed hoarsely.  "I see...no need for that.  The President has been expecting you."

            "How convenient," I said, looking back at the girls.

            "I will escort you to the President," the demon said.  The gate opened, and we followed the demon inside.

            "Do we have some kind of plan here?" Phoebe whispered as we walked into the White House itself.

            "All we need to do is find out what was changed, and then I can fix it," I answered.

            A few minutes later, we reached the Oval Office.  The demon knocked on the door.  "Enter," the familiar voice said.

            We walked inside to see Cole calmly sitting at his desk.  Three skulls rested on the corners and central point on the back of the chair.  "Thank you," Cole said to the demon.  "Leave us."  After the demon closed the door behind him, Cole continued, "You're a tad later than I'd expected, but I suppose you had to have a look around before you came here," he said with a smirk.

            "What have you done, Cole?" I growled.

            "I have no idea what you're talking about," he replied calmly.  He noticed Phoebe staring at the skulls on the chair.  Cole smiled evilly as he stood up and picked up the center one.  "These are my trophies of the victory that set me on this path.  I must say, Phoebe, the years have been far kinder to you than I'd have thought.  Would you like your skull back?"

            Phoebe blanched and leaned into me for support.  "You killed me?" she said in a tremulous voice.

            "I obviously didn't kill you enough," Cole uttered coldly.  Then, smirking, he added, "That reminds me, I've been negligent.  You're my guests, and I haven't even introduced you to my wife."

            "Wife...?" Phoebe stated dumbly.

            Cole ignored her.  Pressing an intercom button, he said, "Honey, will you please come in here?"

            A door to our left opened, and a woman walked into the room.  Though I'd never met her in person, there were so many pictures of her around the Manor that it was not hard to recognize her.  I could hear Phoebe and Piper collectively gasp as they laid eyes on their older sister, who happened to be _very pregnant._

            "Yes, baby?" Prue said sweetly as she approached Cole.  Cole pulled her to him and kissed her passionately.

            "Prue...what...how...?" Phoebe stammered.

            Prue pulled back from Cole and turned to face us.  "After you died, being a witch just didn't seem as important anymore," she answered.  "I just chose the winning side.  Cole is reshaping the world, and I'm a part of it.  You are my past.  He is my future."

            While the girls were trying to absorb their sister's place in everything, Cole turned to me and said, "So, you'd be Michael, correct?"

            Some of the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place.  "You're not our Cole," I stated.

            "Very perceptive," Cole said approvingly.

            "What happened to you, Cole?" I demanded.

            Cole smiled and said, "When he came to me, I almost didn't believe him.  After all, who has a visit from his future self?  But he gave me instructions, and gave me 'advice'.  All of which has proven true.  There's just one small little thing left to take care of."  Cole suddenly threw an energy ball at me and I slammed painfully into the wall.

            "_Michael!" Phoebe screamed._

            I struggled to rise.  That energy ball packed a hell of a lot more power than I was expecting.  "My turn," I growled.  I threw a fireball at him, but Cole simply absorbed the blast.

            "Do you really think you can stop me?" Cole said evilly.  "I've got more demonic powers than you can imagine.  The Wasteland has been very good to me."

            "You absorbed _all_ the demonic powers from the Beast?" I stated incredulously.  "Well, in that case..." I started, but my eyes widened in shock.  "Oh, shit..."

            "Michael, what's wrong?" Phoebe said as she, Piper and Paige came to stand with me.

            "I can't access my full Guardian powers," I said sadly.

            "He hadn't been entirely sure about that one," Cole said with a smirk.  "But it appears that your powers are still tied to the amount of life present in the universe.  So," he said, forming an energy ball and shifting into his Belthazor form, "who wants to die first?"

            I thought furiously.  There was no way the girls would have enough power to hurt Cole, and as I looked at Prue, she started to take a step forward, but then stopped and hung her head.  Cole must have had power over her.  _It can't end like this_, I thought.  Suddenly, I heard another voice in my mind.

            'Teleport to me, now!' the voice yelled.

            Without hesitation, I grabbed the girls and flamed out.  We materialized in some kind of strategic command room.

            "Michael, why did you bring us here?  Where are we?" Phoebe asked.

            Suddenly, a door opened, and an unshaven Leo walked into the room.  Upon seeing us, he smiled tightly, and said, "Welcome to the Resistance."

            "Leo...?" Piper stated.

            Tears welled up in Leo's eyes as he walked forward and embraced her.  "You have no idea how happy I am to see you, Piper," he said tearfully.

            "Does that mean I'm...?" Piper started as she pulled back.

            "Yeah," Leo said.  Stepping back, he continued, "We should talk."  He led us into a smaller conference room and shut the door.

            "Wait a minute...we're at my mansion!" I exclaimed suddenly.  "I recognize the ceiling design.  I'm surprised the place is still intact."

            "We cast some magical protection wards early on after we moved in here," Leo explained.

            "So, Leo, how did Cole end up becoming so powerful...and so evil?" Phoebe asked.

            "Just a moment," Leo said.  A minute later, the door opened again, and we gasped at the figure that entered.

            "_The Seer...?" Phoebe stated in disbelief._

            "I see that you must have met me in your reality," the Seer said as she took a seat next to Leo.

            Piper whirled to Leo.  "What the hell is she doing here?" she demanded.

            "These are desperate times, Piper," Leo said gravely.  "We need all the help we can get."

            "But why are you helping us?" Paige asked.  "After all, evil is very powerful right now."

            "At one point, I was Belthazor's advisor," the Seer said.  "However, I've seen the future, and I had none if I'd stayed with him."

            "So, what did happen?" Phoebe asked again.

            "Do you remember when you, Piper, and Prue used your powers on each other and severed the Power of Three?" Leo asked.  When Phoebe nodded, Leo continued, "You ran off before I came back to figure out what had happened.  Sometime while I was with Prue and Piper...I felt you die.  We found you at Cole's apartment.  He'd stabbed you in the back with an athame."  Leo sighed.  "Everything went downhill after that."

            "Oh, God," Phoebe said, her voice shaking.  "He'd been planning to kill me...but in my reality, he couldn't bring himself to do it."

            "That's it," I said.  "That's what he changed."

            "All of this came about because Cole didn't choose to love Phoebe?" Piper stated incredulously.

            "That is correct," the Seer said.  "After he killed your sister, Belthazor disappeared back into the Underworld, not wanting you and your other sister to come after him.  No one saw him for weeks.  When he finally returned, he was far stronger than he was before...so strong that he took over the Underworld within a day."

            "That must have been when Cole went to the Wasteland," I surmised.

            "Belthazor found out from demonic intelligence that there was another potential Charmed One in existence, and managed to kill her before anyone from the other side contacted her," the Seer continued.  Paige blanched.  "Belthazor then killed you," she said, indicating Piper, "and made your older sister his wife, removing any resistance she had to him.  He planned to use her to sire an heir."

            "So how do we stop him?  He's so powerful," Phoebe pointed out.

            "The only other way I could come up with was to reverse whatever Cole did to change the past, or stop him from making the change in the first place," Leo interjected.

            "From some of my visions, I was able to find the exact moment when Belthazor's future self made the change," the Seer added.  "However, I lack the power to move through time...which is where you come in," the Seer finished, indicating me.

            Suddenly we felt the mansion shudder.  "What the hell was that?" Paige asked nervously.

            "Cole must have figured out where you went," Leo reasoned.  "He's sent his forces to stop you."

            "What can we do?" Piper asked helpfully.

            "My forces can hold them back for a few moments, just long enough for you to go back in time," Leo said.

            "Leo..." Piper breathed tearfully.

            Leo walked forward and tenderly kissed Piper for a moment.  Then he turned to me.  "Fix this," he said commandingly before running out of the room.

            "Ok, let's do this," I said, standing up.  "What was the moment in time?"  In answer, the Seer gestured, and an image appeared in my mind.  I couldn't believe it.  It was the day after the Charmed Ones first received their powers, almost three years before Cole even met Phoebe.  "Got it," I said.  I extended my hands and the girls and the Seer took hold.  "Hang on to me," I said, just before I flamed them out.

            A moment later, we materialized in the Underworld.  A little ahead and to our right, we could see past Cole/Belthazor in a chamber.  A moment later, our Cole blurred in.  He froze as he saw us.  "What the hell...how did you find me?" he growled.

            "I think the more appropriate question is how the hell you thought you could get away with this," I countered evenly, shifting into my Guardian form.  "By the way, how did you get the power to manipulate time?"

            "Some new 'friends' decided to make me one of them," Cole said with a sneer.

            "Do these friends of yours have a name?" I asked.

            "Oh, you'll find out soon enough," Cole said with a smirk.  He suddenly threw an energy ball at me.  Although it was not quite as powerful as Belthazor's had been, it was still stronger than Cole's had been before.  I immediately followed up with a fireball which knocked Cole back a few feet.  Cole blurred out and then came back right behind me, slamming a punch into my back.  As I fell forward, I twisted around and threw a fireball at Cole, which knocked him back into the wall.

            "Seer, get them out of here," I commanded.

            "Michael..." Phoebe said nervously.

            "Don't worry," I said softly.  "You won't lose me."  I then rushed forward and grabbed Cole, flaming us out.

            We materialized in the Manor's basement, and I wasted no time, forming another fireball.  Cole stumbled back a few steps, and then retaliated with an energy ball.

            As I fell back, Cole asked, "Do you honestly think I can't find them, no matter where the Seer sent them?"

            "Not if you're dead," I snapped back.

            "What, do you think you can stop me?" Cole demanded in a mock incredulous tone of voice.

            "You sure as hell can't defeat me," I countered.

            "Thank you, by the way," Cole admitted.  "I didn't consider the possibility that the Seer would betray me.  I'll make sure and tell my past self to kill her before she gets the chance."

            Cole gestured, and lightning erupted around me.  It seemed to be draining my strength, but I countered with a shield of light.  I held up my hand, and five white darts shot out at Cole.

            As Cole dove out of the way, I demanded, "Cole, how could you do this?  Do you know what's going to happen to the world?"

            Cole sneered, "I don't care, as long as that bitch dies."

            "That is my fiancé you're talking about," I said softly.

            Cole's eyes widened, and then he laughed.  It was not the reaction I was expected.  "She caught you too.  I don't believe it.  What was it, her smile, her eyes?  Or was it her...other skills."

            "Shut up," I snapped as I fired at him.   Cole gestured and the fireball dissipated.

            "Oh ho, I was right," Cole stated.  "She really is good in bed.  I remember this one time, when she wanted it rough.  And let me tell you..."

            "_SHUT UP!" I screamed, and a wave of energy fired out from me.  Cole was thrown against the wall, and I hit him with a succession of fireballs.  Finally, I stopped, and as the smoke cleared, I saw that he was gone.  I whirled in time to take a blow to the face.  I felt my nose crack.  Cole's fist hurt...a lot._

            I stumbled back, and Cole grinned, "So much for that pretty face of yours.  Now, are you sure you want Phoebe?  After all, she killed her own offspring.  Not exactly a good sign."

            Seizing a chance to get to him as he got to me, I said coldly, "He wasn't her child, he was an evil son of a bitch."

            Cole's face reddened, and he said in a soft, dangerous voice, "He was an innocent human being that my ex-wife condemned to hell.  She deserves to pay for what she's done, she and her entire family."  Cole clapped, and every object in the basement flew at me.

            I concentrated, and the objects stopped.  I grinned and said, "What exactly has she done?  Killed a demon, made him weak, and then killed his demon spawn.  Don't worry; she won't harm our child.  After all, it's better genetic material, and not a half-demon piece of shit."

            "_FUCK YOU!" Cole screamed, and jumped at me.  I quickly grabbed his hand and threw him.  As he was flying through the air, I fired a powerful beam of energy.  I heard Cole scream, and when the light cleared, I saw a deep wound in the back of his left shoulder._

            Cole looked at me, and said, "You're stronger than I thought."

            I grinned again.  "You're not."

            Suddenly, the image of Cole faded, and I realized I'd been tricked.  I turned, and caught a blow to my abdomen.  I heard ribs crack, and as I bent over, Cole followed through with a crushing knee to my face.  I flew back and slammed into one of the walls, leaving an indention.

            Cole approached, and said, "Still think I'm poor genetic material?"

            It took everything I had, but I stood up and forced a grin, past the raspy breathing and the lancing pain in my abdomen.  "Absolutely," I said softly, and gestured.

            Cole stepped back, but it was too late.  Two giant magical hands slammed into him, crushing him between them.  The hands held him for a few seconds before they exploded as he burst free.  But those few seconds were enough.   Cole looked at me in time to receive a kick to the arm.  I heard a bone break, and followed through with a blast of everything I had left.

            Cole went flying and landed heavily against the wall.  He lay there for several seconds, as I fought not to black out.  Every breath I took was hard.  For some reason, my healing abilities weren't kicking in, and having cracked ribs and a crushed nose didn't make it any easier.  To my horror, Cole slowly began to rise.  I struggled to find something, a scrap of power, an ounce on energy, but I was too tired to focus.

            Cole struggled to his feet, leaning heavily against the wall as he did so.  When he finally stood, he stumbled forward and then forced himself to stand erect.  I saw his right arm was bent at a weird angle, and knew it was broken.  Cole was breathing heavily, and I knew (hoped actually) he was as tired as I was.

            Cole smirked at me, and said in a raspy voice, "Is that all you've got?"  Cole held out his left hand, and an energy ball slowly formed.  I could tell it Cole was barely able to summon it, but the point was he summoned it.  I tried to find some power, through my link to life, through something, but there was nothing. I knew that energy ball would kill me, and I couldn't let that happen.  As the energy ball left his hand, I suddenly remembered where I was.  I was in Phoebe's basement, where there was a NEXUS!!!

            I quickly reached out and pulled.  As I thought, it was a bastion of good energy, energy I could tap into.  I formed a shield at the last instant, and the energy ball dissolved.

            Cole stared at me in disbelief, as his knees wobbled.  "Impossible..."

            I pulled every ounce of power I could, and used it to hide the weariness I truly felt.  "As I told you Cole, you can't defeat me."

            Cole glared tiredly at me.  "You may be beating me now," he said in a menacing voice, "but I won't lose.  I'll kill you...even if I have to take _all of existence with me."  Cole whirled, and gestured.  One of the walls dissolved, revealing a portal.  Fear rose inside me, as I realized where that portal led.  Entropy..._

            "Cole, what are you doing?  You can't tap into that power," I stated in fear.

            Cole laughed.  "Of course I can.  I just have to accept that all of existence will be erased as a price.  It's only a matter of time before portal gets too big for me to keep Entropy back, and then...well, you know what happens then."  As he spoke, the portal continued to increase, and I knew it would eventually do exactly what Cole said, and destroy existence.

            I tried to use the Nexus power to close the portal, but I couldn't.  There simply wasn't enough power.  As I reached desperately for more, I said, "Cole, do you honestly want to erase existence, everything that ever was or will be?  Is that a price you think needs to be paid?"

            "_I DON'T CARE!" Cole screamed hoarsely.  "What Phoebe did to me is unforgivable.  She destroyed me, made me weak.  I was once a rising power.  I was on track to become the greatest being in existence.  But then she stepped in, with her goodness, morals, and love.  And I changed.  My clarity vanished, and in its place chaos reigned.  I tried to be good, to follow her rules.  But the first time I faltered, she cast me aside, and I lost everything."_

            I was about to speak, when I noticed something that filled me with horror.  Cole was standing straighter, and the weariness in his movements was disappearing.  His strength was returning, faster than mine.  I couldn't believe it...he was stronger than I was.

            Cole smiled slightly, "You can tell, can't you?"

            "Cole, how..." I tried to articulate.  "How'd you get this power?"

            Cole's smile faded, and a look of pain and suffering came over it.  "You have no idea what I paid for this power.  I went through more than you can possibly imagine, and all to make her pay for what she's done."

            "And do you really think your pain was worth this?" I asked to buy time, as the hole to the realm of Entropy continued to widen.

            Cole was about to respond, when the basement door was flung open.  We both turned to see the Prue, Piper and Phoebe of 1998 running down the stairs and surveying the scene before them.

            "What the _hell is going on?" Prue demanded._

            I knew Cole wasn't really listening to her.  Hell, _I wasn't.  The two of us were looking at Phoebe.  This was Phoebe before all the pain and suffering, when Phoebe was still the innocent girl that Cole and I had both fallen in love with.  Of course, this Phoebe didn't know Cole yet, but I knew that she recognized me, even in my Guardian form and with all my injuries.  As she stared at me in shock and looked at Cole in fear, I saw Piper vainly tried to freeze us while Prue was undoubtedly trying to fling us to the moon.  I turned back to Cole, and saw something I'd never hoped in a million years to see...tears._

            "How could I have fallen so far?" Cole said in a shaky voice.  "How could I have let myself become this...something she fears...how could I have fallen so far.  What have I done...?"  Cole turned to the portal, which was now the complete size of the wall.  I knew very soon it would be too big to contain.

            Cole turned back to me, and I saw clarity in his eyes.  "Take care of her," Cole said to me.

            "What are you going to do?" I demanded.

            "What I have to," Cole responded.  "There's only one way left to close this portal."  Cole whirled and before I could stop him, jumped through the portal.  There was a cacophony of sound and light, and, when it faded, the portal was gone.

            "Michael...?" Phoebe said, having finally found her voice.  "What's going on?"

            I shifted back into my regular form, causing them to gasp.  Moving slowly to stand in front of Phoebe, I said, "I don't have time to explain, and I can't stay."

            "I miss you..." she said, tears welling up in her eyes.

            "I know you do," I said, reaching out to caress her cheek for a moment (and fighting off a wince as the movement sent waves of pain through my ribs).  "I just want you to know that I love you, and you'll see me again when the time comes."  Phoebe was about to speak again, but I waved my hand and said, "Forget."  The sisters' eyes glazed over, and I gestured.  The basement returned to normal, and I flamed out.  As I did, I felt something very strange in Phoebe's aura.  I smirked as I recognized it, and gestured again in mid-flame.

            I materialized in the park across from the Manor to find the girls and the Seer waiting there.  Phoebe ran forward and caught me as I fell forward.  "Oh my God, are you all right?" she asked.

            "I'm fine," I reassured her as I fought down the urge to scream from the pain.

            "What happened to Cole?" Piper asked.

            "Cole's gone," I said gravely.  "He killed himself."

            "_What?" Phoebe exclaimed in shock.  "Why...?"_

            "He realized how much he had messed things up or rather how messed up things had become," I explained.  "He had opened a portal to ultimate destruction, and he realized at the last minute he couldn't let that happen.  So he jumped through to close it."

            "Did it kill him?" Piper asked softly.

            I fought to keep the dread from my face as I replied, "With anyone else, absolutely.  With Cole...I honestly don't know."

            "Congratulations," the Seer said gravely.  I could see a malicious glint in her eyes.  "Everything is as it should be."

            "Not quite," I said.  "There's still one more thing to attend to."  Before the Seer could flash out, I incinerated her with a fireball.

            "Not that I'm a fan or anything, but why did you kill her?" Paige asked.

            "She betrayed us," I said.  "She cast a spell on past Phoebe to make her kill Cole that night in the mausoleum.  I guess she figured that since Cole saved you guys so many times later on, she could destroy him and the Power of Three in one shot.  Don't worry; I reversed it already."

            Phoebe let out a breath.  "It's over.  It's finally over."  As I leaned on her, she said, "Let's go home, and get you healed up."

            "You've got it," I said, motioning for Piper and Paige to join us.  When they were close enough, I focused and flamed out, to healing, but more importantly back to our lives.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	7. Power

CHAPTER 7:  Power

            After we returned to our time, things remained virtually quiet.  Oh, we still encountered the occasional demon or two, and there were finally rumors of a new Source, but nothing extraordinary.  As such, Phoebe and I decided that it was the perfect time to plan our wedding.

            About two months later, the time had finally come.  The night before the wedding, I had been very reluctant to go with tradition and sleep at my mansion.  I hated not having Phoebe lying next to me.

            "I can promise you this," Phoebe said with a mischievous smile.  "It will be the _last_ night you and I sleep alone."

            That was incentive enough for me.  Besides, I still had a surprise or two up my sleeve.

            The next day dawned clear and bright.  The wedding was scheduled for 2:00 that afternoon, which gave me some time to process everything.  It was finally happening.  Almost five years to the day of my painful departure, I was going to marry the woman I loved.

            At length, the hour of the wedding came, and I went to the Manor.  Phoebe and I had decided to have a handfasting, as it would also magically bind us to each other.  As with Piper and Leo, Grams had agreed to be our High Priestess.  I stood in front of her, shaking with excitement, not just about the wedding itself, but of the surprises I had in store.

            "Places, places everyone!" Grams ordered.  Leo started the CD player, and "Canon in D" started to play.  Piper and Paige came down the stairs first, followed by Phoebe and Victor.  As I saw her, my heart swelled with love.  Phoebe had never looked as beautiful to me as she did wearing her gown.  As she walked toward me, I could see excitement and joy in her eyes.  Soon enough, she was standing opposite me.  Victor joined our hands, and I used my free hand to shake his before he stepped back.

            "Victor, would you move a little to your left?" Grams requested.

            "Sure, why...?" he said as he did so.

            "To make room for..." Grams started.  On cue, two showers of orbs appeared and materialized into...

            "Mom...?" Phoebe said softly.

            "Hi, sweetie," Patti said with a smile.

            "_Prue_...?!" Piper shrieked.

            "Piper..." Prue said tearfully.  She wore a matching bridesmaid dress to the ones that Piper and Paige were wearing.

            "But how...what..." Phoebe stammered.

            "Don't thank me for this," Grams said innocently.

            Phoebe automatically turned to me, and I couldn't suppress a grin.  "_You_ did this?" she said.

            "Um, yeah," I said somewhat nervously.  "I wasn't sure if I should have told you beforehand, but..."

            Phoebe placed a finger against my lips, silencing me.  "Thank you," she said softly.

            "Shall we continue?" Grams quipped.

            "Absolutely," Phoebe said without taking her eyes from mine.

            "We are gathered here today to unite two souls as one," Grams began.  "Do you, Michael Smith, and you, Phoebe Halliwell, join us here of your own free will to acknowledge the eternal bond shared by both of you?"

            "I do," I said.

            "I do," Phoebe echoed.

            "Then face each other," Grams directed.  As we did so, she continued, "Michael, you may recite your vows."

            The broad smile I had been suppressing could no longer be held back, and Phoebe blushed upon seeing it.  "Phoebe, before I met you, I was drifting through life without purpose and direction.  In the short time we had together in New York, you brought me back to the path and gave me hope and purpose.  When I left, I promised myself that if I ever saw you again that I would never let you go, and I intend to keep that promise."  I took a breath, knowing that my composure wouldn't hold up for much longer.  "I can't give you anything that you don't already have, Phoebe.  You have my heart and soul, all of me, forever.  I love you."

            "Phoebe, you may recite your vows," Grams said, wiping a tear from her eye.

            It took Phoebe almost two minutes to stop crying.  My words had touched her much more than I had anticipated.  When she spoke again, she smiled brightly, and her eyes glowed with inner light.  "Michael, I can honestly say that you are my first true love.  I could see how great a person you were the night I first met you.  When you left, my heart shattered, and I never thought it would be properly mended.  In the five years we were apart, though I tried to move on, I never really forgot about you.  When I think of what you did to save me from the darkness, I realize how much you loved me.  You would have given up everything, your existence, to make sure that I was safe and happy.  I love you so much, Michael, and ten lifetimes wouldn't be enough to show you how much."

There was not one dry eye among those gathered at the ceremony.  Grams continued, "Here before these witnesses, Michael and Phoebe have sworn their vows towards each other. With this cord, I bind them to those vows."  The rope came to life and bound itself around our wrists.

            Phoebe and I said together:

            _Heart to thee  
            Body to thee  
            Always and forever  
            So mote it be_

            "So mote it be," everyone repeated.

            Before Grams could say a word, Phoebe flung her arms around my neck and pulled me into a passionate kiss.  I gladly returned it, and somehow it felt like I was kissing her for the first time, all over again.  "Wow," I said when we separated.

            Phoebe pulled my head down once more, and whispered, "Just wait until tonight."

            Grams discreetly cleared her throat.  "I believe there's a homemade reception supposed to be happening now?" she questioned playfully.  "I've been waiting for quite some time to taste Piper's cooking again."

            We all sat down at the dining room table and filled our plates with Piper's delicious feast which she'd been preparing since last night.  At length, the reception wound down, and it was time for Phoebe and me to depart.

            "So, _where_ are we going?" Phoebe asked after we changed.

            "I told you, you'll find out when we get there," I said with a mischievous grin.  I grabbed our bags and we went back downstairs where the rest of the family was waiting to send us off.  After everyone said their goodbyes, I grabbed our bags in one hand and placed my other over Phoebe's eyes.  We flamed out a moment later.

            When we materialized, I dropped my hand, and Phoebe gasped.  We were standing on the back veranda of a large four-story house overlooking the ocean.  A vast spread of palm trees grew on either side and in front of the house.

            "Michael, what...?" she said, trailing off.

            I grinned as I put the bags down.  Scooping Phoebe into my arms, I carried her across the threshold.  "Welcome to my island, Mrs. Smith," I said.

            "Your _island_...?" Phoebe repeated in shock.

            "It's supposed to be the family's summer home, but yeah," I said, still grinning.  "Do you like?"

            "I _love_," Phoebe said as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

            I snapped my fingers, and the bags dematerialized.  "Just saving some time," I said.  I then proceeded to carry Phoebe up the stairs to the bedroom.

            Phoebe kept her arms around my neck as I set her on her feet.  "You have no idea how long I've been dreaming about this," Phoebe said softly.

            "You don't have to dream about it any longer," I said huskily, wrapping my arms around her waist.

            Phoebe pulled my head down and claimed my lips with hers.  She moaned softly as she felt my response to her kiss.  "Michael..." she whispered against my lips.  "I need you..."

            There were no more words...well, nothing I'd like to repeat anyway.  In the seclusion of the island, Phoebe and I spent the week loving one another as completely as possible, as though we were trying to make up for the five years apart.  Whatever lingering regrets I may have had about leaving Phoebe behind in New York disappeared in that week, and only my love for her remained.

            We returned home, suntanned and content.  However, I didn't know that I was in for another bizarre turn of events.

            The night after Phoebe and I returned home, I found myself in a familiar nightmare, one I'd had several times before.  In it, I see Cole, screaming in sheer torment as the Entropic energy attempts to rip him apart...yet it doesn't.  The torment goes on and on.  Finally, when Cole's pain seems to become unbearable, I wake up, shaking and sweating.  Each time, the dream seems more real.  This time, the dream was so intense that I woke up screaming.

            "Michael, are you alright?" Phoebe asked me as she put her arms around me.

            "I'm not sure," I replied uncertainly.

            "What were you dreaming about?" she asked curiously.  I reluctantly told her the frightening images I'd seen.  "How long have you been having this dream?"

            "A few weeks now," I replied.

            "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked angrily.  "I told you not to keep things from me, _especially_ when they involve Cole."

            "I thought it was just a nightmare," I replied honestly.  "Cole _can't_ still be alive...can he?"

            "We all know by now that when it comes to Cole, expect the unexpected," Phoebe advised in a calmer voice.  She squeezed my shoulder reassuringly.  "Maybe we should talk to Leo.  Maybe he can give us a better idea of what's going on."

            "Alright," I agreed.

            Unfortunately, Leo could not give us any advice on the dreams.  "I don't know enough about what happened to give you any advice on this," he said sadly.  "Maybe you should go check with the other Guardians.  They've been around for many centuries, so perhaps they know something."

            "Thanks, Leo," I said.  Turning to Phoebe, I said, "This could take a while.  I'll be back a bit later, ok?"

            "Take your time," Phoebe said.  "I'm not feeling so hot right now anyway, so I'm going back to sleep."  She kissed me, and then added, "Be careful."

            I smiled.  "I'll be back soon," I said as I flamed out.

            I materialized in the Guardian Council Chamber.  "Greetings, Life," said Death.  "Congratulations on your nuptials."

            "Thank you," I said.  "I need your help."

            "We'll help you in any way we can," said Destiny as he materialized.  "What seems to be the problem?"

            "You all know what happened recently with Cole," I began.  "I've been seeing visions of him in great torment, suffering from the effects of Entropy.  Do you have any idea what that could mean?"

            "That is very strange," Death said.  "As far as we know, nothing can survive in Entropy, and Cole has now been there for close to four and a half years, since he entered the portal in 1998."

            "There is a great library that we Guardians have access to," Destiny offered.  "Perhaps you can find the answers about these dreams there."  He gestured, and the location appeared in my mind.

            "Thank you for your help," I said.  I bowed to them slightly, and they returned the bow in kind.  I then flamed to the location Destiny had given me.

            I materialized in a large stone building, filled with thousands upon thousands of shelves, housing millions of books.  "Where do I start?" I wondered.

            "Perhaps I can be of assistance," a new voice said.  I turned to see an elderly man standing behind me.  "I am the Librarian.  What can I help you with?"

            "I'm looking for information on the realm of Entropy," I said.  "Do you have any reference material on it?"

            "Indeed," the Librarian replied.  He gestured, and an ancient volume appeared in his hands.  "Perhaps the answers you're looking for are in here."

            "Thank you," I said.  I sat down at a table and began to read through the book.

            About two hours later, I'd finally located the information that I'd been seeking.  The book said that when a person was witness to someone being killed by the Entropic energy, that person could possibly feel psychic echoes of the other's death, in the form of dreams.  The book went on to say that the Amulet of Chaos had the power to cleanse these echoes from the person's mind, but the Amulet was guarded, as it was an artifact related to Entropy.

            I flamed to the location listed in the book, and found myself in a huge circular chamber.  In front of me was a door with runes carved throughout.  To each side was a huge statue of some sort of demonic creature.  I walked over and tugged on the door, and it slowly opened with a screeching noise.  I was about to step through when some inner sense warned me.  I dove back as a hand slammed down where I had stood.  I looked around and saw to my shock that both of the statues were moving towards me.

            I backed away cautiously and tried to flame out.  To my further surprise, I was blocked.  Something was shielding this place and keeping me trapped here.  I immediately formed a fireball in my hand, and threw it at one of the creatures.  It hit it with explosive fury.  When the smoke cleared, I saw it was completely uninjured.

            I realized it was time to pull out the big guns, so I transformed into my Guardian form.  I felt the power of Life flow through me, and began to float.  One of the statues threw a punch at me, and I barely dodged.  Apparently, these things were fast despite being made of stone.  I fired a bolt of lightning, but the statue didn't even stumble.  These things were tough.

            I felt something slam into my back.  I went flying, and crashed into the wall.  I looked back and saw that the other statue had snuck up behind me.  My back hurt, but I could still move.  I gestured, and a large boulder ripped from the floor and knocked one of the statues back.  I'd hit these things with everything I had, and they weren't stopping.  This wasn't good.

            I dove forward as the statues slammed their fists where I was.  I felt the ground shake from the force.  These things were strong...strong.  Suddenly I got an idea.  I floated over between them.  I let them get up, and waited until they both swung at me.  I then simply dropped and let their fists collide.  The force of the hit pressed me into the ground so hard a crater was formed.  I watched as cracks appeared on their fists, until the two statues shattered.

            I stood up, brushed myself off, and walked through the door.  Inside I found a small room with a pedestal.  On the pedestal was an amulet with a giant emerald in the center.  I walked over and picked it up.  I held the amulet out in front of me, and focused my power into it.  The emerald in the center began to glow brightly.  Suddenly, a portal to Entropy opened in front of me, and a moment later _Cole stepped through_.

            "What the hell?" I exclaimed as the portal snapped shut.

            Cole looked up at me, and I fought not to shudder.  The look in his eyes was beyond evil.  "Thank you for freeing me, Guardian," Cole said in a hollow voice.

            "You're not Cole," I stated.  "What are you?"

            Cole grinned sadistically, and said, "I am Chaos, and this world now belongs to me."  Chaos-Cole vanished in a brilliant flash of light.

            "Oh, shit," I groaned as I realized what I'd just done.  I had just unleashed the personification of the most destructive power in existence on our realm.  I decided that it was time to get some answers.

            I flamed into the library and yelled, "Librarian, where are you?"

            "Here, sir," said the Librarian as he appeared.

            "What the hell happened with the Amulet?" I demanded.

            "What do you mean?" the Librarian asked innocently.

            "I mean why did the Amulet of Chaos, instead of cleansing me of the psychic echoes, release Chaos from Entropy in Cole's body?" I snapped.

            "That is rather strange," the Librarian said.  "I'm not sure..."

            "You lie," I accused.  "I can sense truth.  Now, let's try this again.  _Who are you?_"

            The Librarian grinned maliciously.  "One who will enslave you and all things in your world," he said coldly.  He flung an energy ball at me.  Caught off-guard, I flew back several feet.

            I got to my feet and shifted into my Guardian form.  I formed a fireball and hurled it at the Librarian.  The fireball slammed into him, but while he seemed to skid back several feet, he was unfazed.  The Librarian grinned.  "That's all the vaunted Guardian of Life can manage?  I'm shocked Cole had so much trouble."

            "You knew Cole?" I asked stupidly.

            The Librarian shook his head.  "The Powers that Be have really slummed down in their Guardians.  You are not just weak...you're an idiot."  The Librarian gestured, and vines shot from the ground to grab my arms and force them down.  I tried to resist, but they were very strong.

            As I struggled, the Librarian strode forward.  "I have to admit, I didn't think you'd be so easily fooled.  It almost takes away the pleasure from victory.  Still, my cohorts and I will accept the results.  After all, it took a lot of effort to receive this result."

            Suddenly, pieces start to fall into place within my mind.  "You're the ones who increased Cole's powers.  You're how he got so strong."

            The Librarian sighed, "You don't really expect me to either deny or confirm that, do you?  After all, I've seen those hero films, and I don't want you to get _too_ much information."

            The Librarian turned to leave, but he stopped at a shelf near me.  He reached up and took a volume.  "I know as soon as I leave you'll try and find something in this Library.  Let me save you some time, this is the only book that has information you want."

            I knew I had to make my move before it was too late.  I looked the Librarian straight in the eye, and beams shot from them.  Surprised, the Librarian didn't have time to react.  The beams hit him in the eyes, forcing him back.  As his concentration wavered, so did the grip of the vines, and I ripped my hands free.  I quickly followed up with a fireball.  The Librarian was thrown back against the wall with a sickening crunch, sending the book flying.

As the Librarian got to his feet, he gripped his chest, and I could tell that several of his ribs were cracked.  "You may have won this battle," he hissed, "but make no mistake...we _will_ kill you."  The Librarian then blurred out.

            I thought furiously.  Who was the Librarian, and what connection did he have to Chaos...and Cole?  I quickly ran over and grabbed the book he'd dropped, and skimmed through it.  I finally found the passage I was looking for.

            "_The Avatars of Power_," I read, "_are a group that worships Chaos in its pure form.  While most life worships order, these beings seek to unravel life and balance and bring about the reign of Chaos.  Never trust them, for their motives are often suspicious.  They are a bane upon existence, and should their plans ever come to fruition, the universe would be in grave peril._"

            Reading this, I had only one thought.  "Shit..." I immediately flamed to the Guardian Council Chamber.

            As I appeared, Death approached me with an irate expression.  "What the hell is going on?  The entire universe is screaming."

            I fought not to make a smart remark as I replied, "Cole is back, and he's different."

            "Different how...?" Destiny asked.

            "The Entropic energy changed him," I explained.  "He's absorbed it, and it's possessed him.  He calls himself Chaos."

            "Oh, no..." Death said as his face went pale.

            "It gets worse," I said.  "Tell me, do the Avatars mean anything to you?"  Seeing Death and Destiny flinch, I continued, "I thought so.  I found out they were the ones that gave Cole his power boost.  So, why didn't you tell me about them earlier?"          

            Death sighed, "We didn't tell you because we didn't think they were involved.  They are an offshoot cult.  They may be strong, but they never seemed to be much of a threat.  However, if they're involved in this affair...it doesn't bode well."

            Destiny added, "The Avatars have always worked in shadows, but they have one goal and one goal only...to bring Chaos into the world.  And if they have, then we're in deep trouble."

            "What can we do?" I demanded.

            Death and Destiny shared a look before Death said, "Against the power of Entropy, I'm not sure.  But I think the weakness lies in the fact that Chaos is within a body, even one as powerful as Cole's.  There may be a way to disable Cole, which would stop Chaos.  The thing that worries us is the Avatars.  We don't know what their exact plan is, and their involvement complicates things."

            I sighed, "I'll work with my wife and her family on Cole.  Why don't the two of you figure out what the Avatars are up to?"

            "It's as good a plan as any," Death offered.

            I nodded, and flamed back to the Manor.  As soon as I materialized, I shouted, "Baby, I'm..."  I never finished my sentence, though, for a second later Phoebe had jumped into my arms.

            "Thank God you're back," she said.  "I was really worried."

            "While I appreciate the concern," I said, "we have a major problem."

            "What happened?" Phoebe asked anxiously as she pulled back.

            "Let's get everyone together first," I interjected.

            A few minutes later, the others had joined us, and I quickly explained the situation to them.

            "You know, that guy just needs to die already," Paige snapped.

            "I'm more concerned about Chaos at this point than Cole himself," I interjected.  "The only problem is that I have no idea how to stop him."

            "Maybe the Book will have something," Piper suggested.

            "Good idea," said Phoebe.  We made our way up to the attic.  However, the sight that greeted us stopped us cold.

            "It's amazing how much trouble one little piece of literature has caused," Chaos-Cole said as he grinned maliciously, reverently running a hand over the Book of Shadows.

            "How the hell are you...?" Piper started.

            "Please," Chaos-Cole snorted.  "I'm completely beyond your Book's measly self-protection."  Chaos-Cole picked up the Book, smiling again.  Suddenly, the Book of Shadows burst into flames, and within seconds nothing was left but a handful of ashes.

            "_No!_" Phoebe screamed.

            Chaos-Cole fixed his eyes on her, and said, "You will make a fine sacrifice."  He made a small gesture, and Phoebe disappeared from my side and reappeared in Chaos-Cole's grasp.

            "Phoebe!" I yelled.  I ran at them, but Chaos-Cole was faster and fired an energy ball at me, throwing me painfully across the room.  I looked up to see Chaos-Cole flash out, along with Phoebe.  "_Phoebe!_"

            "Oh, God," Piper said, sinking into a chair.  Not only had Chaos-Cole just destroyed a four centuries' old legacy of the Warren line, but he had taken Phoebe...as a sacrifice.

            "We've got to find her," Paige said.  "Leo, can you sense her?"

            "No, he's blocking her signal," Leo said sadly.

            "Maybe from you," I said.

            "Do you know where she is?" Piper asked franticly.

            "Not yet," I said.  "I can barely sense her as it is.  Apparently, Chaos didn't realize how powerful our bond is.  Given enough time, I should be able to locate her."

            "How much time are we talking about?" Leo asked.

            "Half an hour, tops," I said confidently.

            "Then get to it," Piper said shortly.  I could tell she was worried.  Hell, I was terrified, just doing a good job of hiding it.

            I knelt down on the floor and assumed a meditative position.  I closed my eyes and began to concentrate on Phoebe's lifeforce.  Gradually, her presence grew strong once again, and at length, returned completely.  Not wasting any more time, I flamed out, following the trail of her essence.

            I materialized in a stone chamber lit with torches.  Eight cloaked figures were standing in a circle, and in its center were the Librarian, Chaos-Cole, and Phoebe, who was bound to an altar.  I felt my skin crawl and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.  Whatever Chaos-Cole was doing, it was generating more power than I'd ever imagined.

            Chaos-Cole was chanting in a deep voice, in a language I couldn't recognize but which filled me with dread.  Finally, he looked at me and grinned.  "With this sacrifice, I, Chaos, assert my dominion over this realm," Chaos-Cole intoned.  Before I could react, he punched into Phoebe's chest, and ripped out her heart.  Within seconds, the sickening feeling of Phoebe's lifeforce diminishing overwhelmed me for the second time.

            "_NO!!!_" I screamed.  Burning rage built up inside me as I transformed to my Guardian self.  A fireball had left my hand before I'd realized I'd thrown it, and before Chaos-Cole did as well, for it threw him back and he slammed into the wall with a sickening crunch.  I flamed to Phoebe, grabbed her lifeless body, and flamed back to the Manor.  I knelt down on the floor and cradled her in my arms.

            "Phoebe...Phoebe," I said as I shook her body.  But nothing changed.  Her eyes still gazed unseeing up at me, and she still bore the hole where Chaos-Cole had ripped out her heart...and mine.  I felt tears course down my face, and heard the others saying something, but everything seemed distant, out of focus.  What did it matter after all?  Phoebe was dead.  Everything in my life that was good...was dead.

            As I gazed down at her lifeless body, I knew I couldn't leave it like this.  I just couldn't let her go without telling her.  "Phoebe, honey, I love you," I said softly.  I shook my head a little bit.  "I know I've said it before, but it just, it just seems like I've never said it enough.  I love you.  You're my other half, my better half.  You filled all the places in me, shined your goodness on all my dark places.  You made me feel like I could do anything.  I'm sorry I couldn't save you.  I walked into this trap, and you're dead because of it.  I'm so...so sorry."  I tried to speak more, but my throat was too tight to speak.  Instead, I just let my grief and pain wash over me, and fill me.  I rode that wave and let it consume me.  And as it did, I thought, 'I can't let it end like this.'

As that thought came to me, I felt my power rise within me, more than I'd ever thought I'd need.  I felt myself putting my hand over her wound, without knowing why.  As I did, I felt the power flow down my hand and enter her.  There was a blinding light, and then I felt Phoebe's body shudder in my arms as she started breathing again.  I looked down, not daring to believe as sense came back to her eyes and she smiled up at me.  Then I was hugging her, holding her to me as if she was going to fade.  I felt the others fall down around me and hug her as well, but it didn't register.  All that mattered was that Phoebe was alive, and back with me.

            As the last of the healing light faded, I suddenly felt something else, another presence.  It was very faint, and coming from..._inside Phoebe_.

            "Squeezing a little too hard, guys," Phoebe mock-complained.

            "Sorry, sweetie," Piper said as she pulled back.  Wiping some tears from her face, she said, "Are you alright?"

            Phoebe turned to me with a smile.  "I am now," she said, resting her head on my shoulder.  As though in realization, she suddenly looked up and asked, "How did you...?"

            "I suppose I should have known sooner," I said.  "Part of my duties as the Guardian of Life involve the generation of new life.  Logically, an extension of that should be _regenerating_ lifeforces as well."

            "That makes sense," Phoebe said.  "Listen, I think I need to lie down for a bit.  I'm still feeling sick."

            "Sure," I said, lifting her into my arms and standing up.  "We'll be back down later," I said to the others as we flamed to our room.  I laid Phoebe down on the bed and sat next to her.  I looked over at her, and she looked back at me.  I tried to speak, but I was still raw from what had happened.  Finally, I said, "I'm sorry."

            Phoebe looked confused as she replied, "What?  Why are you sorry?"

            "For letting Cole out," I began, but Phoebe snorted.

            "Michael, that wasn't your fault," Phoebe snapped.  "You were tricked.  Don't let it get to you.  I love you, and I know you wouldn't have done it if you'd known.  And thanks to you, I'm alive again."

            I saw her start to shiver, and I instinctively pulled her into my embrace.  She said in a faint voice, "I can still remember the feeling, as my heart...as it was pulled out.  I remember seeing it, and wondering how it could be so small, and yet so important.  And then...I remember seeing you."

            "It's probably best you don't remember the other side," I said, trying to comfort her.

            Phoebe looked up at me, and I saw some of her fear fading.  She was still afraid of what happened, but some of it had dispersed.  She stared into my eyes for several moments, and then said softly, "I love you."

            "I love you too," I whispered back, and held her close to me.  Then, remembering what I'd felt before, I said, "Phoebe, there's something I have to tell you."

            "What?" she asked anxiously.

            I grinned.  "You're pregnant," I said softly.

            Phoebe's eyes grew huge.  "I'm..._pregnant_?" she repeated.  Then she looked down at her abdomen and stroked it gently.  I took her hand and squeezed it.  She looked up at me with a broad smile and tears in her eyes.  She flung her arms around me and kissed me.  "Thank you," she whispered as she pulled back.  "Thank you for this."

            "Thank you," I replied in turn.  Then, I chuckled.  "I guess this would explain why you haven't been feeling so well today."

            "Morning sickness," Phoebe realized.  "Oh, well, I suppose I'll just have to get used to it...again."  She smiled.

            "First," I reminded her, "we still have the small task of defeating Chaos.  Are you ready to go back downstairs?"

            "I think so," Phoebe said as she pushed herself into a seated position.

            "Very well, then," I said, scooping her up in my arms.

            As I began to carry her out of the room, Phoebe said, "You don't have to carry me, you know."

            "I know," I replied.  "But I wouldn't be much of a gentleman if I let my lady walk, now would I?"

            Phoebe giggled and shook her head.  "Whatever you want, Michael," she said, resting her head on my shoulder.

            "That was quick," Paige said as we descended the stairs.

            "Looks like I didn't need as much rest as I thought," Phoebe said as I set her on her feet.

            We all sat down in the living room.  "We need a plan...fast," I began.  "It won't be too much longer before Chaos starts to remake the universe as he sees fit."

            "How can we possibly do anything?" Piper questioned.  "Without the Book, we have no knowledge base to work from."

            I thought for a moment.  Suddenly, I remembered.  "Maybe we do..." I said softly.

            Five minutes later, we found ourselves in the Library.  "Here's the book that had the information about the Amulet of Chaos that let Cole out," I said, noting to myself that the script now indicated the amulet's true purpose:  to open portals to Entropy.  "Maybe there's something in here that we can use."  I began leafing through the book rapidly, until I found an entry that looked promising.

            "_The Amulet of Order_," I read, "_is an artifact forged by the first Guardians of the Realm five thousand years ago.  When activated, the Amulet endows an individual with the very power that brought the universe into its ordered structure.  However, the Amulet was sealed away for fear that it would fall into the hands of the Avatars._  _It currently resides in the Hall of Champions, at the place where it all began."_

            "How does this help us?" Leo asked curiously.

            "Order is the exact opposite of Chaos," I explained.  "If I used the Amulet, it may give me enough power to stop Chaos."

            "Maybe..." Piper mentioned cautiously.

            "Do you have any other ideas?" I asked impatiently.

            The sisters shared a long look, and Paige replied, "No, I guess we don't."

            "But where is this Hall of Champions?" Phoebe demanded.

            I honestly didn't know, so I shrugged helplessly.  However, Leo said softly, "I may know."

            "What do you mean?" I asked.

            Leo sighed, "There is a legend among the Whitelighters.  It's said that when God made this realm and all Life within it, he coordinated it all from a specific spot.  But I don't know where that spot is exactly."

            "Maybe I can find it," I mentioned.  I closed my eyes, and concentrated.  I instantly felt the lifeforces of everyone around me, but that wasn't what I needed.  I pulled myself 'higher' until I could feel almost every life in existence.  I sent my consciousness out, trying to find a pattern, something that would give me a direction.  I'd almost given up hope when I felt it.  It was faint, but I could feel...something.  It was like this place was...summoning me.  I opened my eyes, and said, "I know where to go."

            "I guess this is once again up to you," Piper said.  Giving me a swift hug, she said, "Good luck, Michael."

            "Thanks," I said.  "Leo, can you take them back to the Manor?"

            "Sure," he replied.  As he motioned for the girls to surround him, Phoebe went to me.

            "Do you have any idea how scared I am for you?" she said in a tremulous voice.

            "Yes," I said.  "I can feel it."  I took her in my arms.  "Phoebe, listen," I said softly.  "If...I don't make it back, I want you to have Leo take you to the Neutral Plane.  He knows where it is, and hopefully it won't be affected by anything from this realm.  You should be free of the effects of Chaos' changes there.  The three of you will be able to sustain yourselves indefinitely there, so you'll be safe..." Phoebe cut me off with a kiss.  

            "I know you'll come back to me," Phoebe said.  "Our love has transcended every boundary.  I know it will survive this too."

            "I love you," I said, resting my forehead against hers.

            "We'll be waiting," she said with a smile, placing my hand against her abdomen.  I felt a slight tingle in my hand, and I knew that my unborn child was wishing me well also.

            Reluctantly, I stepped back from Phoebe.  I watched as she joined her sisters, and then Leo orbed them out.  Sighing in resignation, I flamed out.

            When I could see again, I found myself in a small chamber.  The chamber was totally empty, except for a single pedestal.  Sitting on the pedestal was an object, and it seemed to radiate power.  I knew it was the Amulet, and I started towards it.

            I'd gone no more than three steps when I felt a massive presence slam into me.  I fell to my knees as I tried to fight back, to keep it out of my mind.  The presence pushed past my defenses as if they were child's play, and I heard a voice in my mind. _Who dares to desecrate this Hall?_

I struggled to rise, but I simply couldn't get my legs to move.  Sensing the presence was growing angry, I stated, "I am Michael Smith, the Guardian of Life and I apologize for coming here.  But I need that Amulet to save existence."

            I felt the presence touch parts of my mind, and then the voice spoke again. _We have confirmed your identity, Guardian.  But what is this problem that has brought you here?_

I sighed, and replied simply, "Chaos has escaped, and is moving about in a human form."

            _WHAT! _The voice boomed in my head, and I winced.  It was deafening.  I felt the presence touch my memories again, and images flashed through my mind.  As I realized it was seeing my memories, the voice spoke.  _This is troubling news indeed.  Chaos is a formidable foe, and this being Cole is also dangerous.  They make a very bad combination.  But why do you need the Amulet?_

"I need more power if I am to stand against Chaos-Cole," I explained, "My only chance is to absorb the powers of its counterpart, Order.  The Amulet is the key to doing that."

            _And who told you that foolish lie? _the voice wondered.

            "What?  But...the Amulet of Chaos..." I began, but trailed off as something occurred to me.  "It doesn't give power, does it?  It only opens a portal somewhere, just like its counterpart?"

            _Yes.  The Amulets were never designed to provide power.  They are merely keys to doors that normally don't open._

            I felt my hopes die.  I'd failed.  "Is there any way to gain the power I need?" I asked, praying that there was a way.

            I felt the voice hesitate.  _Perhaps...but the price will be quite high._

            I thought of Phoebe, my unborn child, everything I cared about.  "I'll pay any price to save existence, to save my family."

            _When Balance created this realm, He put equal parts of Order and Chaos into it. _As the voice spoke, images entered my mind, and somehow I KNEW that being he called Balance was the one I called God.  _He linked the realm to the Source of Chaos and of Order, for that is His way.  However, He knew that such a link would leave a chance that a being could absorb the ultimate power of each, and took steps to try and prevent that.  He created a Sentinel for each Source, and empowered them with the energy that they were protecting.  Only with the permission of the Sentinel would a being be able to tap into the power of Chaos and of Order.  One of them has obviously taken over the one known as Cole, and the other...the other is me._

"You can give me the power I would need?" I asked incredulously.

            _Yes.  But..._

            "It would kill me, wouldn't it?" I said softly.

            _Yes.  There is a small chance that it wouldn't, but you'd be more likely to be hit by lightning twice in a row._

_            "_Would I still be in control?" I asked, fearing his response.

            _Of course.__  I am not like my counterpart.  I trust you enough to leave you in control.  And even if I had taken over, you would still remain, merely as a passive observer, there to advise me.  But that is not needed in this case._

I felt fear in my soul, but said simply, "Do it.  It's the only way to stop him."

            The Sentinel hesitated before speaking again.  _Very well...you truly are an honorable person, Michael Smith._

As the Sentinel finished speaking, I felt raw power flow through him into me.  My mind began to burn, and I began to scream.  It hurt worse than anything I'd ever experienced, and I felt my body, my very soul beginning to dissolve.  It was too much for me to handle.  I was going to die.

            As I felt my consciousness beginning to fade, I heard a sound.  It was hard to identify, but I finally figured it out.  It was chanting.

            _Powers of the sisters rise.  
            Aid my love before he dies.  
            Come to him and hold him fast.  
            Stop my love, so he can last._

            I could almost swear I felt arms encircle me, and I felt something pulling my consciousness back together.  Then, I heard Phoebe's voice.  "Hold on, my love.  We're here with you, all of us.  You can do this, we believe in you, and we're not leaving you."

            As if that was some sort of trigger, I felt new strength rise within me.  More power than I'd ever dreamed of was suddenly at my fingertips, and I stood up.  I looked around, but I was alone.

            I turned back towards the Amulet and said, "Thank you."

            _Save the World Michael Smith, Guardian of Life and Sentinel of Order._

            I concentrated, and the world dissolved into golden orbs.  I materialized into the Avatars' chamber, where a grinning Chaos-Cole was sitting on his throne.  The Avatars immediately stood up, but Chaos-Cole waved a hand, telling them to back down.  "So, the vaunted Guardian of Life is paying me another visit," he smirked.  "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

            "You owe me nothing, you bastard," I spat.

            "Actually, that's not true," he countered with a sneer.  "I owe you your death."  The Avatars stood up, all forming energy balls.

            "In that case, let me show you where I've been," I replied.  I lifted my arms, and let the power of Order flow through me and change me.  When it completed, I caught sight of myself in a reflecting pool.  My appearance was exactly the same as my Guardian form had been, with one exception.  Instead of blue, the irises of my eyes were now glowing with golden light.

            The Avatars, not realizing what it meant, fired their energy balls at me.  However, I simply stood there and absorbed them, not even flinching.  Suddenly realizing the danger, they tried to blur out, but I simply waved my hand and they stopped.  I then simply flicked a finger, and all the Avatars burst into flames, and were vanquished.

            "Now," I said, turning to Chaos-Cole, "it's just you and me."

            Chaos-Cole stood up and smiled, "Well, well.  You've gotten a power boost in the last few hours, haven't you?  I knew you'd try and stop me, but I never thought you'd find the powers of Order.  Congratulations.  You always were a worthy opponent."

            "SHUT UP!" I shouted, and gestured.  Golden lightning shot from me, and Chaos-Cole barely managed to raise a shield to block it.  Chaos-Cole countered with a wave of dark energy, which I easily countered.

            "Impressive," Chaos-Cole said.

            "I won't let you destroy existence." I stated.  "I'm going to stop you, no matter what it takes."

            "Bring it on," Chaos-Cole remarked.  A black sword appeared in his hand, and he swung at me.  Quick as thought, I formed a golden sword and blocked him.  We began to trade blows back and forth, neither of us gaining an advantage.  Finally, Chaos-Cole leaped back.

            "You are becoming a nuisance," he panted.  He clapped his hands, and I felt immense pressure around me.  I pulled on my own powers, and the pressure stopped.  I jumped towards Chaos-Cole and shoved raw energy at him.  Chaos-Cole fell back quickly, and rolled to his feet.  Blood trickled from his mouth as he stared at me in disbelief.

            "IMPOSSIBLE!" he shouted.  "No one should be strong enough to stop me."

            "I am the Guardian of Life and the Sentinel of Order, and I am taking you down," I stated formally.

            A look of fear came over Chaos-Cole's face.  "Now, now, let's not be hasty," he said.  "Maybe we can reach an agreement.  Death is so messy and permanent.  Isn't there a better way?"

            "DIE!" I yelled, and dove at him.  I tackled Chaos-Cole around the middle, and as we went down, I directed as much power as I could at him.  I felt the heat and force as the explosion came, but was unfazed.  When it passed, I found myself staring up at the ceiling.  I got up quickly, and saw Chaos-Cole struggling to his feet.  He stared at me with a look of abject terror on his face, and hesitated.  That hesitation was enough for me.

            Quick as lightning, I summoned my sword and jumped at him.  My sword slid through him easily as if cutting through butter.  Chaos-Cole convulsively grabbed my arm.  Blood began to trickle out of his mouth as I said, "You're finished.  I've won."

            The look of fear instantly vanished from Chaos-Cole's face, to be replaced by a look of cunning.  "Wanna bet?" he gasped, and then screamed.  I felt power erupt from him, and realized to my shock that he was also pulling power from me somehow through the grip he had on me.  I tried to pull free, but his grip was like steel.  The power flowed for a few seconds, and then Cole's hands fell.  As he slid off my sword, he said in triumph, "You may have killed me, but you've helped me complete my mission."

            "What do you mean?" I demanded.

            Chaos-Cole grinned as he coughed up more blood, "Look for yourself, you mother fucker."

            I turned around and used my senses to track the power that had just left us.  To my abject horror, I saw the power pooling in all the Nexuses around existence.  It was only a matter of time before that power caused the Nexuses to explode, shattering and devastating this realm.

            "What have you done?" I screamed at him.  He was fading fast, so I used some power to keep him here.

            Chaos-Cole grinned at me, "I chose wisely with this vessel.  He was truly cunning, and it was his plan.  Soon, the Nexuses will erupt, causing this realm to shatter and fill with Chaos.  Order will disappear and the one true power will be lord and master here.  And it's all thanks to you."

            "What do you mean?" I asked as dread filled me.

            "It was so easy to have my little minions lead you around by your nose," Chaos-Cole admitted.  "First, you freed me, allowing me to begin my plan.  But that wasn't all.  Didn't you find it strange that my Avatars would leave a book lying around to tell you about how to gain the power of Order?"

            "YOU left it there on purpose," I gasped.

            Chaos-Cole laughed, causing him to spit up more blood, "You guessed it.  It was so easy to have YOU gain the power I needed.  I knew my counterpart would never give me the power, but you were a different story.  You brought me the power of Order, enhancing my power enough to reach EVERY Nexus in existence.  But I couldn't let you see that I was leading you around, so I had to keep you angry enough to stop thinking.  Phoebe's little death worked wonders towards that goal, and her heart gave me the link to you that I needed for my plan to work.  Congratulations, you've ended existence."

            As Chaos-Cole began to chuckle, I turned and desperately reach out with my powers.  It was no use however.  The power was too far spread; I couldn't reach it all in time.  He was right; I'd failed.  I fell to my knees as my hope died.  I could only pray that Phoebe somehow got out before it hit.

            As I sat there in my depression, I felt something appear.  It's sheer presence made me fight not to collapse.  It was power personified, and I knew suddenly who it was.  I turned and gazed at the being made of pure light, and said, "God..."

            God smiled, and said, "In this case, I am Balance.  I am here because Chaos is about to overtake the world, and I cannot allow such a thing."

            "You can stop this?" I asked hopefully.

            God shook His head, "Unfortunately, I am constrained from doing so.  No, you must solve this one alone, as you are not similarly constrained."

            "But I can't, I don't have the power," I stated.

            God smiled, "I know that, but there are some things I CAN do.  For example, until I decide, time will not flow outside of this room.  This will allow you to think of a solution without worrying about a lack of time."

            "No..." Chaos-Cole snarled.  I turned, and saw him rise to his feet.  His gut wound was slowly healing over, and I realized God was healing him.

            God's visage took on a stern look.  "You have overstepped your authority.  You were never to do this."

            Chaos-Cole laughed, "I don't care what I was not MEANT to do.  I did this, and you aren't allowed to stop me.  This weakling can't stop me, so it doesn't matter.  You won't keep existence frozen forever.  It's only a matter of time before my plan comes to fruition.  I've won."

            "Maybe not..." God said enigmatically.  He turned to look at me, as if I had the solution.  I thought, a little angry that God wouldn't fix this until I realized why.

            "Free will is the reason you can't stop this, isn't it?" I asked.

            God nodded, pleased that I'd figured it out.  "Yes.  By giving my creations free will, I allowed to make choices for themselves, no matter whether the consequences were good or bad.  I can't undo such a choice without risking more than you can possibly understand.  The solution is there, you must simply find it."

            I tried to figure out a way to do as God wanted, but my mind kept circling around the fact that I didn't have the power to fix this alone.  Alone...  I looked at God and asked, "I may not have the power alone, but can I link with enough people so I can?"

            Chaos-Cole laughed, "You fool.  Even if you linked with everyone being outside this room, you'd not have enough power.  All I need is one Nexus to go and I win.  Save your time and merely give up."  But there was a slight tremor of fear in his voice, and I knew he knew of a way to fix this.  I thought back at what he said, and it came to me.

            "Chaos and Order are equal in power, right?" I asked suddenly.

            "Yes, such is how I made it," God replied.

            "If I used not only my power, but also the power of Chaos, then I could stop this, couldn't I?" I concluded.

            "Yes," God said.

            Chaos-Cole looked at me pityingly.  "If I'd known how stupid you were, I wouldn't have made this so complicated.  You idiot, do you honestly think I'll help you to stop my OWN plan?  Are you insane?"

            "Except I don't need you, I just need your power," I mentioned.

            "But I am in control of my power, and there is no link for you to get to it.  Sorry, you still lose," Chaos-Cole mocked me.

            He was right.  As long as Chaos was in control, I could never reach the power.  But there had to be someone else who...

            "You took over Cole's body to move around this realm.  He was the only being that could survive in your home realm long enough for you to possess him, wasn't he?  And that's your weakness.  You may be in control of your powers, but COLE is in there somewhere, and if he were dominant, he could use your powers also, couldn't he?"

            A look of fear crossed his face too quickly for Chaos-Cole to block, and I knew he was right.  I turned to God and wondered, "Can you make Cole the dominant one in their relationship?"

            God shook his head, "No, only Cole can do that.  But I can and will take you to where you can talk to him."

            "NO!" Chaos-Cole shouted.  He backed away in fear, before he was frozen by a glance from God.  God looked at me, and I felt the chamber fade around me.

            When my sight returned, I was standing in a barren room.  In front of me was a figure staring out a window as black lightning shot across the sky.  Even with his back to me, I knew who it was.  "Cole..."

            Cole turned, and glared at me.  "You'd think I'd be able to rest even here, but you won't let me go, will you?"

            "Where are we?" I asked.

            "Where do you think?  You asshole, get out of my mind and leave me in peace," Cole snapped at me.

            As realization dawned on me, I said, "Cole, I can't.  I need your help."

            Cole laughed bitterly.  "Save your breath.  I won't help you.  Now leave me alone."

            "Cole, if you don't help me, existence will end," I explained.

            Cole looked at me, and then laughed.  "Well, well.  I guess the Sentinel succeeded better than I would have hoped.  I'm happy for him."

            "How can you say that?" I asked in disbelief.  I remember how Cole had been right before he'd entered the portal.  He had seemed...human.  Not like this.

            "As I told you, I don't care if I have to take existence with me, so long as I succeed," Cole explained.  "I spent YEARS in that place, in more pain than you can possibly imagine.  I have no desire to return to life again.  Chaos didn't TAKE control of me; I let him have it.  I just want peace...it's all I've ever wanted."

            "Cole, you're my only chance to stop him.  Even God thinks so.  If you don't help me, then everyone...Phoebe...your son's soul...everyone will simply cease to exist.  Do you honestly want that?"

            Cole looked at me in surprise.  "God's involved in this?"

            I nodded quickly.  "Yes, and he won't help us.  It's either you, or existence fails."

            A thoughtful look came over Cole's face, and I dared to hope.  Finally, Cole said softly, "Alright, I'll help you."

            I smiled.  "Thank you."

            "Don't thank me.  I have my own reasons," Cole responded.  "Now, get out of here."

            I nodded, and closed my eyes.  I opened them to screaming.  I found myself lying on the floor of the Chamber.  I sat up, and saw God smiling at me.  Chaos-Cole was screaming and holding his head.

            "NO, NO!" Chaos-Cole screamed, "You idiot! Don't...I'm so...so close!  I can't...I WON'T LET YOU STOP ME!"

            Chaos-Cole collapsed, and lay unmoving for several moments.  Finally, he stood up and opened his eyes.  "You may have been strong, but this is my body...and I won't let you keep it any longer."

            "Welcome back Cole.  Now, we need to link powers to stop..."  I began.

            "Not so fast," Cole interjected.  I turned to look at him.  "My help comes at a price, a price God will have to pay."

            God turned to look at him, surprise showing slightly in His eyes, "What price is that?"

            "I will only tell you after we're done.  Until then, I want your word you will give it to me, no matter what it is," Cole said firmly.

            God and Cole locked gazes for several seconds, before God nodded and said, "So be it."

            As Cole turned to me, I couldn't help but fear whatever he wanted.  I imagined he wanted more power, or Phoebe's head.  A hundred dire possibilities crossed through my mind, but no matter; there was no choice.  Finally, I said, "Link with me, and let's do this."

            A second later, I felt Cole's presence in my mind, holding back raw, uncontrolled power.  "Whenever you're ready," Cole said in my mind.  At that moment, God released his hold on time, and I felt the Nexuses begin to grow unstable.  Together, Cole and I reached out with our power and stabilized them, one by one.  We barely made it, but we managed to stop the plan started by Chaos.  As we finished, I severed the link between us and waited in fear.

            "What is your price?" God asked, and I tensed.

            Cole smiled, and said, "Erase me from existence."

            "WHAT?" I asked in shock as God stared at Cole in disbelief.  This was not a possibility I considered.

            Cole's face took on a hard look.  "We had an agreement.  Will you abide by it?"  To my shock, I felt Cole summoning the power not only of Chaos, but of ORDER!  I felt Order's power leave me, and knew I was only a Guardian again.

            "What did you do?" God demanded.

            Cole grinned evilly.  "Before Michael severed the link, I left behind a little present.  His powers are mine now.  I control Order and Chaos, and if you don't do as I want, well..."  I felt Cole reach out, and could feel him feed a little power into a Nexus.  Before it grew too unstable, he stopped it.

            "Are you insane?" I shouted.

            Cole ignored me, and stared God down.  "It's your choice.  Either do what I want, or I will do what Chaos wanted."

            God looked at Cole for a little while before requesting, "Just tell Me why."

            Cole sighed, "I'm tired, and I know it's the only way out for me.  Now, what is your choice?"

            God looked over at me, and I read sadness in His eyes.  "Very well, I will give you what you deserve.  Kneel before Me."

            Cole walked over and knelt, as I stared in utter disbelief.  God placed His hand on Cole's forehead, and white energy began to flow from Him to Cole.  The light grew in intensity, until I had to look away or go blind.  When it passed, I looked back.  God was gone, and there was a scorch mark where Cole had been.  I ran my hand over it, and a few tears fell on the mark.  Though I hated Cole at times, I wept for anyone who would willingly choose nullification.  Then I stood, and flamed to the Manor.

            To Phoebe, and to Life.

TO BE CONTINUED...


End file.
